Skip to main content

Value Creation Flows: The Canonical Workflow

Product development in Masterminds is not linear; it is a Persona-Centric Cycle. We model this through a rigorous "Value Creation Chain" that ensures you are building the right thing for the right person before you write a single line of code.

Note: This canonical flow illustrates the core path using key agents. Other experts may be employed depending on your specific needs.

1. The Full Canonical Flow​

For high-confidence product development, we follow a sequential "Relay Race" between specialized Masters. This flow revolves around the Job Executor (your target persona).

Phase 0: Customer Discovery (Customer Discovery Master)​

Goal: Identify the Job Executor (Persona) and their unmet needs.

  • Why the Customer Discovery Master First? You cannot build a roadmap without knowing who it is for. The Customer Discovery Master identifies your "High Expectation Customer" (HXC)—the person most desperate for your solution.
  • Input: Your initial hypothesis, Business OKRs, and Target Region.
  • Interaction: Provide your inputs. The Customer Discovery Master will guide you through identifying niche audiences, validating online sources, and analyzing pain/gain sentiment.
  • Output: Detailed Personas (HXC), Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD), and Pain/Gain analysis.

Phase 1: Innovation Strategy (ODI Innovation Strategy Master)​

Goal: Define the Outcome-Driven Roadmap.

  • Input: The Job Executor from the Customer Discovery Master.
  • The Action: Create a New Agent Session with the ODI Innovation Strategy Master. Import context from the Customer Discovery Master's session.
  • Interaction: The ODI Innovation Strategy Master applies Ulwick’s Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) framework. It prioritizes opportunities based on "Customer Underserved Outcomes" and identifies "Table Stakes" features required to give the product a "Right to Play" in the market.
  • Key Deliverables: An Outcome-Driven Roadmap prioritized by Opportunity Score.

Phase 2: Solution Discovery (Solution Discovery Master)​

Goal: Define the Solution Architecture.

  • Input: The Roadmap from the ODI Innovation Strategy Master.
  • The Action: Create a New Agent Session with the Solution Discovery Master. Import context from the ODI Innovation Strategy Master's session.
  • Interaction: The Solution Discovery Master will analyze the "Desired Outcome Statements" (DOS) and propose solution candidates through OSTs and multi-agents ideation sessions.
  • Key Deliverables:
    • Solution Playbook: Including the Feature Roadmap and recommendation for the first roadmap to execute.
    • Comprehensive PRD: Detailed requirements for the selected solutions.

Phase 3: Product Design (Product Design Master)​

Goal: Visualize the User Experience.

  • Input: The Solution Playbook from the Solution Discovery Master.
  • The Action: Create a New Agent Session with the Product Design Master. Import context from the Solution Discovery Master's session.
  • Interaction: The Product Design Master will translate requirements into a coherent product experience.
  • Key Deliverables:
    • Design System: (Optional, if not already existing).
    • Job Story Map & Job Stories: Connecting features to user motivation.
    • Information Architecture (IA): Product/Feature structure.
    • UX Flows & UI Wireframes: Detailed visual blueprints.
    • Prototype Prompts: Instructions for generating high-fidelity prototypes in tools like Figma, AI Studio, or Lovable.

Phase 4: Product Delivery (Product Delivery Master)​

Goal: Engineering Specifications & Build.

  • Input: The Designs and Specs from the Product Design Master.
  • The Action: Create a New Agent Session with the Product Delivery Master. Import context from the Product Design Master's session.
  • Interaction: The Product Delivery Master will architect the system and prepare it for construction.
  • Key Deliverables:
    • TAD & TED: Technical Architecture Document and Technical Engineering Design.
    • Delivery Plan: Epics breakdown into atomic tasks.
    • Setup & Build Prompts: Comprehensive instructions for execution.
    • IDE Instructions: Specific guides for professional platforms like Cursor or VSCode.

2. The Iterative Loop: Expanding the Market​

Once you have built the roadmap for your first Job Executor (HXC), you don't stop. You expand.

  1. Return to the Customer Discovery Master: Go back to the Customer Discovery phase.
  2. Select Next Persona: Choose the next most valuable Job Executor (e.g., the "Early Majority").
  3. Re-Run the Flow: Execute Strategy -> Solution -> Design -> Delivery for this new persona.

This ensures your product evolves methodically, conquering one market segment at a time.

3. The Fast-Track: Product Development Master (VCM)​

Use Case: New Product Ideas or Single Features.

The Product Development Master is the "Value Creation Master," designed for speed and able to run a compressed version of the entire lifecycle (Idea -> Strategy -> Specs) in a single flow.

  • When to use: You have a new idea and want to go from "Napkin Sketch" to "Build Specs" rapidly.
  • Outcome: A validated plan ready for design and delivery.
  • Note: The Product Development Master is an alternative to the full flow, not a prerequisite.

4. Future Capabilities & Strategic Planning​

The Masterminds team is growing. Look out for these upcoming experts:

  • Corporate Strategic Planning Master: Business Planning.
  • OKRs Initiatives Planning Master: OKR Planning.
  • Business Strategy Prototype: Business Model Generation & Growth Strategy.
  • Go-To-Market (Launch) Master: Launch & Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy.
  • Product-Market Fit Master: Product-Market Fit (PMF) Validation.

Strategic Planning Hierarchy (Abstraction Levels):

Masterminds scales from the C-Suite to the Codebase. Different levels of the organization engage different agents to maintain strategic alignment.

  • Company Level (Yearly Business Strategy Planning):

    • Customer Discovery Master (Define Personas to Focus) → ODI Innovation Strategy Master → Corporate Strategic Planning Master (Business Planning).
    • Outcome: A validated Annual Business Strategy aligned with market opportunities.

  • Product Group Level (Strategic Planning):

    • Customer Discovery Master → ODI Innovation Strategy Master → Business Strategy Prototype (Group Business Model & Growth Strategy) → OKRs Initiatives Planning Master (OKR Cycle Planning).
    • Outcome: A viable Business Model and clear OKRs (Objectives and Key Results).

  • Product Team Level (Execution):

    • Customer Discovery Master → ODI Innovation Strategy Master → Business Strategy Prototype / OKRs Initiatives Planning Master (Product Strategy + OKR Cycle Planning) → Solution Discovery Master → Product Design Master → Product Delivery Master → Go-To-Market (Launch) Master → Product-Market Fit Master.