Management

Before You Start a Project… Watch This (Project Discovery)

Online PM Courses (Mike Clayton)
Online PM Courses (Mike Clayton)•May 14, 2026

Why It Matters

Doing formal discovery upfront lowers delivery risk, prevents costly mistakes, and improves funding and scoping decisions by turning assumptions into evidence; it can also expose simpler operational alternatives that negate the need for a project. Confidence

Summary

The video defines project discovery as an early-stage learning process used to build understanding of a business situation and gather knowledge about potential solutions through research and small-scale development or prototyping. It argues discovery reduces uncertainty and project risk by surfacing viable options, aligning stakeholders, and clarifying requirements, timelines and cost parameters. The presenter outlines a five-step discovery framework: assemble a diverse team, develop situational understanding, precisely define the problem, conduct in-depth research to generate and shortlist options, then perform a detailed evaluation to choose the best solution. The output of discovery feeds project scoping and the business case and can sometimes reveal alternatives to launching the planned project at all.

Original Description

Most project problems don’t start during delivery… they start right at the beginning. That’s why the Project Discovery stage matters so much.
In this video, I’ll walk you through what project discovery really is, what happens during this phase, and why it’s absolutely critical — especially for complex or iterative projects.
We’ll break the process down into five clear steps, from assembling the right team and understanding your situation, through to defining the problem, doing proper research, and evaluating your options.
Along the way, I’ll also highlight the real benefits of doing discovery well — and what happens when you don’t.
If you want fewer surprises, better decisions, and stronger project outcomes… this is where it all begins.
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⏱ Chapter Markers...
00:00 - What is Project Discovery and what is the Project Discovery process?
00:16 - Defining what Project Discovery is
00:59 - Development work in the Discovery Stage
01:41 - Iterative projects
01:57 - The Benefits of Project Discovery
03:06 - The Five Steps of Project Discovery
03:31 - Step 1: Team Assembly
04:10 - Step 2: Situational Understanding
05:10 - Step 3: Problem Definition
05:39 - Step 4: In-depth Research
06:23 - Step 5: Detailed Evaluation
#ProjectDiscovery #ProjectManagement #ProjectStartUp

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