Start with the existing workflow
Ask a willing participant to describe the last time they completed the task you want to improve. Find out what started it, which information they needed and what happened when something went wrong. Avoid collecting confidential details; a generalized example is enough. Specific descriptions of current behavior are more useful for a brief than asking whether an exciting future app sounds like a good idea.
Look for a costly or confusing step
Ask where they waited, copied information or needed help. Distinguish a repeated obstacle from a one-off annoyance. You do not need to invent a market-size figure to identify a concrete friction point. Record what the participant actually said separately from your interpretation. A small number of conversations can help refine a prototype, but cannot establish representative demand, willingness to pay or likely commercial success.
Show a scenario instead of a promise
Once you understand the task, describe a small proposed change and ask the participant to work through it. For example, would a visible request status replace a particular follow-up email, or would they still need to ask somebody? Do not promise that an AI builder already supports the proposed behavior. Treat unanswered implementation questions as research work rather than using enthusiasm to close them.
Turn the observation into one requirement
Write a requirement that links the problem to an observable outcome. If people lose track of a request, the outcome might be finding its current status after returning to the app. Keep a short record of the source conversation without unnecessary personal details. Use that requirement in a prototype test, then revisit it with feedback. This is an original discovery method, not evidence of measured demand for Overskill or your app.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Overskill product page — Merchant documentation · overskill.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-18