Discovery before code: start software projects with shared clarity

Discovery is a short phase that turns how the business really works into scope, delivery milestones, and acceptance criteria, clear enough to build against. Once it is done, writing code is the natural next step rather than a guess.

Discovery versus jumping straight in

Straight into code versus with discovery

Straight into code

• Easy to build many features with fuzzy priorities
• A polished demo may miss real operations
• Scope is hard to align across stakeholders
• Changing course later costs more

With discovery

• A first phase small enough to show value early
• Acceptance written up front, so everyone reads it the same way
• Priorities match the operational problem
• Your team and your partner share one picture

Five steps

From listening to a delivery plan

1. Step 1

   Listen to the people doing the work

   Workshops with real operators, observation of the process, and a record of constraints and critical data.

2. Step 2

   Clarify priorities

   Separate must-haves from later items and pick the main flow that creates value soonest.

3. Step 3

   Lock the first phase

   One shippable slice, with what waits listed explicitly so scope stays clear.

4. Step 4

   Write acceptance criteria

   By role: who does what, what correct data looks like, and when it counts as done.

5. Step 5

   Plan the delivery

   Build order, open assumptions, ownership of source code and infrastructure, and demo cadence.

What you have after discovery

Four short documents, enough to present internally: a problem brief (who faces what, and why it matters now), a scope map (in, out, later), a set of acceptance criteria, and a delivery plan (milestones, main risks, ownership).

MinTech works in six stages: collect, analyze, design, implement, test, operate. Discovery covers the first two.

Frequently asked questions

How long should discovery take?+

For SMEs, workshops plus the first-phase documents often take a few days to about two weeks, enough to lock acceptance before deeper build work.

Can coding start during discovery?+

Small technical experiments can run in parallel. What should be settled early is the business scope and the first phase’s acceptance criteria.