This service helps product teams bring clarity to what their users, operators, and business stakeholders actually need from the product. It is about making sense of multiple inputs—some vague, some contradictory—and turning them into usable guidance for engineering. While product requirements come later, this work happens much earlier. It helps set the foundation.
We support clients by identifying all those with a legitimate interest in the product. This includes internal voices like users, developers, and maintainers, but also regulators, support teams, and—in some cases—those affected by the long-term use of the product.
When done right, this service bridges the gap between a business vision and an engineering plan. It brings enough structure to allow good decisions, without locking down design too early.
Common Challenges
Many product teams move fast. But speed often leads to skipping the hard early questions. Who really uses the product? What problems are they trying to solve? What makes the difference between this product and other existing products?
Sometimes, not all stakeholders are visible. Regulatory bodies, customer support teams, or even future maintainers are easy to overlook. When those voices are missed, critical needs can fall through the cracks.
Another common challenge is mismatched expectations. Stakeholders often describe what they want in general terms, but interpreting those into specific actions requires careful discussion and prioritization. Without this, the team risks building to unclear or unrealistic goals.
In many cases, clients struggle to define what success looks like. Validation criteria are missing or too broad. This leads to downstream frustration when it becomes unclear whether the product does what it was meant to do.
Our Approach
We start by identifying and mapping relevant stakeholders. This includes both those who will use the product and those who shape or support it. Where access is limited, we work with proxies like marketing or customer-facing roles.
To gather insights, we use a mix of methods: interviews, workshops, scenarios, and proxy feedback. We tailor the approach to match the size and structure of the client organization and the type of product being developed.
Needs are then structured, reviewed, and prioritized. We help teams make sense of what’s critical, what’s negotiable, and what can wait. Where possible, we link each need to a driver—whether that’s a business goal, a regulation, or a technical constraint.
Throughout, we keep a strong trace between original stakeholder input and the structured outcomes. This makes it easier to revisit, explain, or adjust decisions later.
What to Expect
By the end of this work, clients receive a clear, structured set of stakeholder needs captured in a Product Use Case document or model. These are grouped, labeled, and ready to support formal requirement development.
At times we support clients in developing the OpsCon (Operational Concept)—a practical document that shows what the product will do (not how it will do it) and why (rationale). This helps uncover overlooked needs and creates alignment across teams.
Each defined need includes a first version of validation criteria. This makes it easier to later test whether the product actually addresses what matters.
Clients can expect interactive working sessions, stakeholder reviews, and transparent documentation. We do not disappear behind slides. We collaborate openly, with space for discussion and adjustments.
All captured information is traceable. Every need can be linked back to its source—whether a conversation, a workshop, or a strategic document.
Service Dependencies
This service lays the foundation for the next steps in product development. It feeds directly into Requirements Management, which formalizes the needs into technical requirements.
It also informs System Architecture Definition by describing what the product needs to achieve across its lifecycle and in what contexts it must perform.
The early validation criteria defined here help guide future Verification and Validation planning, making it easier to define what "success" looks like before teams start building.
During later stages like integration or compliance review, a clear understanding of original needs helps prevent misunderstandings and missed expectations.
Finally, because many product decisions tie back to strategic or market objectives, this work also strengthens the business case—whether for internal approval or external acquisition.
