Opportunity Solution Tree

Use it when you need a clear link between real user needs and the solutions you build.

What is it?

The Opportunity Solution Tree is a visual roadmap for turning user insights into impactful product outcomes.

Created by Teresa Torres, this framework forces you to start with a clear, measurable outcome, your north star metric, then map the underlying opportunities (user problems or desires) that influence it. From there, you brainstorm potential solutions for each opportunity and design experiments to validate those ideas before you build. By structuring discovery this way, you avoid the common trap of shipping features without evidence they'll move the needle.

The OST bridges product discovery and delivery: it's part UX research, part prioritization tool, and part hypothesis engine. You'll end up with a single source of truth that aligns your team around user-driven opportunities and keeps you from chasing vanity metrics or pet features.

Why it matters?

By forcing you to connect user insights directly to outcomes, the Opportunity Solution Tree slashes wasted dev cycles and untested feature bets. You'll focus on the highest-leverage opportunities, validate fast with experiments, and iterate based on real user feedback, driving faster retention gains, higher conversion rates, and fewer product flops.

How it works

Growth co-pilot turns your toughest product questions into clear, data-backed recommendations you can act on immediately.

Set your outcome

Pick a single, measurable goal (e.g., increase trial-to-paid conversion by 20%). This keeps every branch of the tree tied to one north star.

Research opportunities

Run interviews, surveys, or analytics deep dives to uncover user pain points and desires that influence your outcome.

Cluster and prioritize

Group similar user needs into opportunity areas and rank them by potential impact and ease of validation.

Ideate solutions

For each high-priority opportunity, brainstorm multiple solution ideas, no idea is too out-there at this stage.

Design experiments

Turn top solutions into lean tests (mockups, A/B tests, prototypes) with clear success criteria.

Validate and learn

Run your experiments, collect data, and decide whether to build, iterate, or kill each solution.

Iterate the tree

Update your opportunities and solutions based on what you learn, then rinse and repeat toward your outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Growth co-pilot turns your toughest product questions into clear, data-backed recommendations you can act on immediately.

What's the difference between an Opportunity and a Solution in the OST?

An Opportunity is a user need or pain point you've validated through research. A Solution is your proposed fix for that need, tested through prototypes or experiments before you build.

What's the difference between an Opportunity and a Solution in the OST?

An Opportunity is a user need or pain point you've validated through research. A Solution is your proposed fix for that need, tested through prototypes or experiments before you build.

How granular should my opportunities be?

Aim for mid-level buckets that are specific enough to guide ideation but broad enough to group similar insights. If you over-split, you'll drown in branches; under-split, you'll miss nuances.

How granular should my opportunities be?

Aim for mid-level buckets that are specific enough to guide ideation but broad enough to group similar insights. If you over-split, you'll drown in branches; under-split, you'll miss nuances.

When should I update my Opportunity Solution Tree?

Treat it as a living document: revisit after every major experiment, new research sprint, or shift in business priorities. If data invalidates an assumption, prune or pivot that branch immediately.

When should I update my Opportunity Solution Tree?

Treat it as a living document: revisit after every major experiment, new research sprint, or shift in business priorities. If data invalidates an assumption, prune or pivot that branch immediately.

Can I use OST without formal user interviews?

You can start with quantitative analytics or customer support logs, but real breakthroughs happen when you combine them with qualitative interviews. Cold data alone often misses the 'why.'

Can I use OST without formal user interviews?

You can start with quantitative analytics or customer support logs, but real breakthroughs happen when you combine them with qualitative interviews. Cold data alone often misses the 'why.'

How does the OST tie into OKRs?

Your tree's outcome should map directly to an OKR metric. Each validated opportunity and solution then becomes a key milestone or initiative under that OKR, keeping discovery and delivery in lockstep.

How does the OST tie into OKRs?

You've mapped your Opportunity Solution Tree to target your next growth levers, now plug it into CrackGrowth's diagnostic engine to pinpoint hidden friction and generate experiments that move your metrics.

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