Methodology
Discovery establishes which constraint is actually binding before anything is proposed. It runs for roughly two weeks, produces a written diagnosis, and the findings are yours whether or not the engagement continues.
The shape of it
Why it exists
That sounds obvious, and it is the step most commonly skipped: proposals are frequently written from a briefing call, which means the plan reflects what the client already believed rather than what the evidence shows.
What we examine
The order matters, because a constraint at an earlier layer makes work at a later one worthless.
What the binding constraint appears to be, what evidence supports that, what we would do about it, and what we would not do. It includes the things we think are fine, which is usually the part clients find most useful.
How it is scoped
It is scoped and priced on its own so that continuing is a decision made with the findings in hand rather than a commitment made before them. If the conclusion is that you do not need us, that is a legitimate result and we will say so.
That is the question discovery exists to answer, and the first thirty minutes usually narrows it to one. Describe what is not working and we will tell you where we would start — and whether a diagnostic is worth buying at all.
