Continuous Discovery System

Teresa Torres defined continuous discovery as weekly touchpoints with customers. Most teams read that and book a recurring Calendly slot they never fill. A real continuous discovery system has infrastructure: an always-on intake, an automated tagging layer, a weekly synthesis routine, and a direct line from insight to the opportunity backlog.

This skill builds that infrastructure. Two modes: Setup (build the system) and Weekly Run (execute the routine).

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Context

The system has four layers:

Intake — where feedback and signals come in (always-on)

Triage — automated tagging and routing (weekly)

Synthesis — pattern finding and opportunity framing (weekly)

Action — connecting insight to backlog and decisions (weekly)

You don't need to build all four at once. Start with one layer and add the others.

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Mode 1: Setup — Build the System

Step 1 — Audit existing feedback channels

Ask the user to list every place user feedback currently lives. Common sources:

CHANNEL               | EXISTS? | VOLUME     | CURRENTLY REVIEWED?
Support tickets        | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
NPS/CSAT comments     | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
In-app feedback widget | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
User interviews        | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
Sales call notes       | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
CS escalations         | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
App store reviews      | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
Community / Slack      | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
Session recordings     | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N
Churn surveys          | Y/N     | [per week] | Y/N

Identify the 1–2 channels with the highest signal-to-noise ratio. Start there.

Step 2 — Define what "good signal" looks like

For each channel selected, define the signal filter:

CHANNEL: [name]
Good signal = [specific criteria]
Noise = [what to ignore]
Volume target: [how many good signals per week]

Step 3 — Build the intake and triage process

Weekly triage workflow: export/collect, filter, tag (8–12 need tags + context tags), and spot patterns (3+ occurrences = flag for synthesis).

Step 4 — Build the weekly template

25-minute weekly review covering: raw intake, tagged items, patterns, opportunity statements, backlog actions, and open questions.

Step 5 — Connect to the opportunity backlog

Rules: opportunity statements appearing 3+ consecutive weeks get a backlog item. Format is need-based, not solution-based.

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Mode 2: Weekly Run — Execute the Routine

Step 1 — Receive raw feedback

Step 2 — Filter to signal

Step 3 — Tag each item (exact quotes, need tag, context tag, underlying job)

Step 4 — Find patterns (3+ occurrences → opportunity statement)

Step 5 — Identify weak signals (1–2 occurrences → monitor)

Step 6 — Output weekly discovery summary

Quality check before delivering

Mode 1: Mode 2: Suggested next step: The system compounds over time. Week 1 tells you little. Week 6 shows you patterns. Week 12 shows you trends. Consistency beats depth every time.