ideate-solutions

Ideate Solutions

Generate multiple product solution concepts grounded in outcomes and opportunities before validating assumptions.

Position in Workflow

Step 3 of product strategy workflow:

1. /discover-outcomes - Define outcomes
2. /discover-opportunities - Identify opportunities
3. /ideate-solutions - Explore solution concepts (THIS)
4. /discover-assumptions - Validate with experiments

Core Principle

Diverge before you converge. Create several distinct solutions, then evaluate them against outcomes and constraints.

Input

Default: Use outcomes and opportunities from the current conversation.

If argument provided:

• File path: Read the file for context
• Notion/Doc URL: Summarize relevant outcomes and opportunities

Workflow

1. Gather Context

• Restate the target outcomes and top opportunities.
• List constraints (time, budget, compliance, positioning).
• Clarify what is in scope vs out of scope.

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

Ask what improves ideation quality:

• Which outcomes matter most right now?
• What constraints are non-negotiable?
• What segments or use cases are priority?
• What current alternatives must be beaten?

3. Ideate Multiple Solutions

Generate 3-5 distinct solution concepts. Vary across:

Dimension	Examples
Approach	Self-serve tool, concierge, marketplace, automation
Value prop	Speed, cost reduction, risk reduction, delight
Delivery model	Feature, workflow, service, integration
Adoption path	Low-friction trial, assisted onboarding, pilots

Avoid anchoring on the first idea. Make the options meaningfully different.

4. Evaluate Trade-offs

For each solution, assess:

• Pros: How it advances outcomes
• Cons: Risks or limitations
• Evidence fit: What assumptions it relies on
• Feasibility: Rough effort and dependencies
• Differentiation: Why it wins vs alternatives

5. Pick a Leading Concept

Rank the options and select a leading concept to validate next.

Output Format

## Solution Ideation

### Context Summary
[Target outcomes + top opportunities]

### Clarifying Questions
[Questions about priorities or constraints - if any]

---

### Concepts

#### Concept 1: [Name] - Leading
[Description]

**Pros:**
- ...

**Cons:**
- ...

**Evidence fit:** [Key assumptions this relies on]
**Feasibility:** [Low/Medium/High]
**Differentiation:** [Why this wins vs alternatives]

#### Concept 2: [Name]
[Same structure]

#### Concept 3: [Name]
[Same structure]

---

### Recommendation
[Why the leading concept wins, and when you'd choose differently]

### Open Questions
[Assumptions or unknowns to validate]

### Next Step
Validate assumptions. Run `/discover-assumptions`.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Jumping to one idea	Generate 3-5 concepts first
Concepts too similar	Force meaningful variation
Ignoring constraints	State non-negotiables early
No link to outcomes	Tie each concept to outcomes

What NOT to Do

• Do NOT define experiments yet
• Do NOT commit to a solution without assumptions
• Do NOT skip trade-off analysis