Opportunity Solution Tree: Mapping what Matters

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we explore Teresa Torres’s powerful product discovery tool — the Opportunity Solution Tree (OST) — and how to mentally map it, use it, and remember it in the heat of your next product decision or interview.

We break down:

• The key levels of the tree: Outcome → Opportunities → Solutions → Assumption Tests

• How to align discovery work with business goals through continuous interviewing and ideation

• Mental tricks and visual hooks to help you recall and explain OSTs clearly to stakeholders (or recruiters)

We also touch on common challenges like linking research, tracking project status, and customizing the OST for real-world use — and offer practical workarounds.

If you’ve ever lost your discovery work in a tangle of Miro boards and Google Docs, this episode will help you think — and build — with more structure and clarity.