Six practical techniques to drive product innovation

Product managers are constantly searching for new ways to delight customers. In theory, the path to innovation seems simple: have a great idea, turn it into a product, launch it to an excited market, and then profit.

If only it were that easy.

The reality is that the innovation process is demanding, requires significant effort, and offers no guarantee of success—though you will always gather valuable learnings along the way.

To help you on your journey, here are six techniques you can implement quickly to generate better ideas, make faster decisions, and avoid wasting time on products that are destined to fail.

1. The Design Sprint

Created by partners at Google Ventures, the Design Sprint is a four-to-five-day process for solving tough business problems. It has been used by hundreds of companies to move from a rough idea to a tested prototype in just a few days. It provides a structured, repeatable formula that breaks down the innovation process into a series of manageable steps, helping you make critical decisions with speed and confidence.

2. The Decision Sprint

We’ve refined the Design Sprint into a highly focused two-hour session called a Decision Sprint. It’s designed to help teams make critical decisions and align on a clear path forward, either before or during the product development process. By combining key exercises from the Design Sprint with an experienced facilitator, this session ensures you move from discussion to decisive action in just two hours.

3. The Opportunity Assessment

This is a simple but powerful technique for ensuring your work is focused on the right things. It forces you to answer four critical questions before you begin:

• Objective: What business objective will this work address?

• Key Results: How will we measure success?

• Customer Problem: What specific problem does this solve for our customers?

• Target Market: Which customers are we focusing on?

4. The Customer Letter

To ensure your product delivers real value, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. The Customer Letter technique involves writing a mock letter from a delighted customer to your CEO, explaining exactly why they are so happy with your new product or service. This exercise helps you shift your focus from features to the tangible benefits your product provides.

5. The Customer Discovery Programme

A Customer Discovery Programme involves recruiting a small group of reference customers—ideally around six—who strongly represent your target market. These customers agree to provide regular feedback on prototypes and, crucially, commit to buying the final product if it solves their problem effectively. This ensures you are building something that at least six real customers have already agreed to pay for.

6. Customer Interviews

If you are not already speaking to your customers regularly, you should start immediately. Dedicate a few hours each week to interviewing users to test your assumptions and ensure your solution aligns with their needs. These informal conversations are one of the most effective ways to gather honest feedback. By speaking with customers early and often, you build a connection from day one—and they might just become your first paying customers.

There is no single technique that works for every team. We recommend trying a few to see which best fits your process. If you’d like help getting started, get in touch.