Solution
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A solution is a specific thing a team could build or change to address one opportunity in an Opportunity Solution Tree. Solutions live below the opportunity they serve, and healthy trees carry several competing solutions per opportunity so the team compares options instead of defending the first idea that appeared.
Compare at least three
Generating a single solution per opportunity turns discovery into justification. Comparing three or more forces the team to articulate why one is better, and the comparison itself often produces a fourth option that beats all of them.
Solutions are hypotheses until tested
Every solution carries assumptions: that customers want it, that they can use it, that it is technically feasible, that it makes commercial sense. A solution in the tree is a claim awaiting evidence, and the experiments below it are how that claim gets checked before the team spends a quarter building it.
Frequently asked questions
How many solutions should an opportunity have?
Three is the usual minimum. The point is not volume but comparison: with only one candidate there is no decision to make, and the team ends up validating a choice it already committed to rather than finding the best option.
Related terms
- OpportunityIn an Opportunity Solution Tree, an opportunity is a customer need, pain point or desire that, if addressed, would move the desired outcome.
- ExperimentAn experiment is a small, fast test that checks a specific assumption behind a solution before the team commits to building it.
- Assumption testingAssumption testing is the practice of identifying the beliefs a solution depends on and checking the riskiest ones with small tests before building.
See how solution fits the whole tree
The full guide covers all four layers and how they connect.