How to build continuous discovery habits on your product team

Continuous discovery is a strategic approach that integrates research into the everyday workflow of product teams, ensuring that user-centricity and empathy are consistently prioritized despite tight deadlines and high expectations. Unlike traditional, waterfall-style research projects that can be time-consuming and quickly outdated, continuous discovery involves dedicating a portion of the team's capacity to ongoing research activities, such as interviews, surveys, usability tests, and customer support checks, allowing for faster answers and deeper user empathy. This method, popularized by Teresa Torres' book "Continuous Discovery Habits," helps teams rapidly adapt to changing market conditions and capture new opportunities as they arise. By embedding discovery habits into regular practices, teams can maintain a fresh understanding of user needs and behaviors, leading to better product development without the need for cumbersome, infrequent research initiatives.