· sprint
Finding a breakout wedge
A breakout product usually begins with a specific job someone already tries to complete, not with a broad promise that a new technology can do everything. A wedge is the smallest useful product experience that solves one painful part of that job well enough for a person to choose it again.
Describe the job in the user’s words
Interview people who recently faced the problem. Ask what triggered it, what they did next, what they used before, where the process stalled and what happened if they left it unresolved. Ask them to show the workaround when they can. Compliments about a concept are weak evidence; a recent example, an existing budget or a repeated manual process gives you something concrete to test.
Then name the first user, the buyer if different, the starting input and the result they expect. Keep the first version narrow enough that a new user can understand it without a tour. A hypothetical example: if a small support team spends time turning incoming requests into a daily handoff, test whether the product can organize one queue into a reviewable handoff. Do not start by building a general “AI operations platform” before the team proves it needs one.
Choose evidence before expanding scope
- Can a target user provide the input needed for the first workflow?
- Can the team deliver an outcome that is easier, safer or clearer than the current workaround?
- Does the user return to the workflow without a founder prompting them?
- Will the buyer commit time, access or money to test it?
- Can you state what evidence would make you narrow, pivot or stop?
Do not mistake a demo, waitlist or enthusiastic interview for repeat use. They answer different questions. Put the riskiest assumption first and design the cheapest honest test that can change your decision. If a human service, template or manual prototype tests the value faster than software, use that as a learning step and be explicit about what it does not prove.
Once the job is clear, use AI-native MVP scope to decide which model and review steps belong in v1. For customer discovery questions, see wedge interviews. If you want an outside product review, read about our services or contact us with the job, user and current workaround.