About the author
Anita Petanović
Project Manager
Do you have a great idea that just waits to be transformed into an app but you’re not sure how?
Maybe you’re not even sure if it’s technically possible to implement it.
Or maybe you have too many ideas and can’t decide on the best approach to start with actual work.
If any of this sounds familiar, it is time to think about technical discovery.
So what exactly is technical discovery?
Technical discovery is an initial phase in your project development process.
It helps us validate your idea and check the feasibility of the desired solution. It also enables you to work closely with the development team and prevent any misunderstandings or unsuitable outcomes.
The main advantage of this process is that you know exactly what you’re paying for before the actual development starts.
Plus, at the end of the process, you will have a fully onboarded team ready to start with development as soon as the discovery phase ends.
Why start your development project with technical discovery?
The discovery phase does all the groundwork needed for the project development to start.
It is not a waste of time but a very valuable and productive phase that clarifies project goals and plans.
Sure, we could skip it and start the development phase immediately, but we would still need to pause the development along the way to do project setup or some research. Or even to find a “plan B” if something turns out to be a wrong path.
The discovery phase helps avoid these blockers and actually saves time.
What’s the difference if you start with discovery – or skip it?
Projects that start with a discovery phase have these benefits:
- Clear and transparent project roadmap, with future phases already agreed on
- A better “look and feel” of the project from the start, thanks to early design and prototyping
- Higher team commitment and engagement, as everyone is aligned from the start
- Easier onboarding of new team members, supported by discovery phase documentation and deliverables
- A more stable and robust solution, built on refined requirements and technical feasibility
- Fewer risks that could disrupt development plans, due to proactive risk identification and mitigation
- Increased project success rates, with fewer surprises
- Greater client satisfaction with the final product, as expectations are managed and met throughout the process
Still not convinced? Let us introduce you to our team of experts
For technical discovery, we offer a dedicated discovery team that includes all team members who will in the next phase be part of your actual development team.
Our experts in different software development areas will put their thinking hats on and find a best solution for you. Individual approach to every client is what we are proud of.
Each of these specialists bring their expertise and perspective to the table, ensuring that every aspect is considered from the start.
Business analyst gathers and documents business requirements; identifies user journeys and use cases; ensures proposed solutions align with business goals.
UI/UX designer creates wireframes, mockups and prototypes to visualize user flows and interfaces; collaborates with the team to align design with technical constraints and user research.
Backend developer proposes scalable and maintainable backend structure; recommends suitable backend technology stack, frameworks and databases; designs API structures and database schemas; identifies technical risks and integration points with other systems.
Frontend developer proposes frontend technology stack, frameworks and libraries; prepares initial app skeleton and component structure; collaborates with designer to ensure feasibility of UI/UX concepts; plans for responsive design and accessibility.
QA Analyst defines quality assurance strategy and initial test plan; identifies potential risks and edge cases early in the process; recommends testing frameworks and tools.
DevOps Engineer designs infrastructure architecture including cloud setup and CI/CD pipelines; prepares dev, QA, demo and production environments; specifies requirements for deployment, monitoring and scalability; sets up version control and source code management; defines security, compliance and backup strategies.
Project Manager defines project scope, timeline, milestones, deliverables; sets up project management board and processes; tracks progress and ensures alignment with client expectations.
Wondering what you’ll actually walk away with from technical discovery?
Our team will work side-by-side with you to get all the requirements and turn your idea into an actual project. Client-team collaboration is the most important ingredient for success in our discovery phase.
This approach ensures smooth transition from discovery to development, with all requirements, designs, and plans clearly documented and agreed upon.
That is why we always have a list of deliverables that will be a visible result of this process:
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- Approved design wireframes and clickable prototypes to visualize user flows and interface design
- Infrastructure setup and accompanying diagram illustrating cloud environment, CI/CD pipeline and security targets
- Tech stack analysis with justification for chosen frameworks, programming languages and tools
- Code architecture setup and accompanying diagram visualizing system’s structure and data flows
- Risk assessment documentation identifying potential technical challenges and mitigation strategies
- Test plan outlining initial testing strategy, types of tests and quality assurance standards
- Project management board and backlog with refined and prioritized requirements
- Clear roadmap, MVP scope and milestones based on estimations, priorities and client’s deadlines
- Onboarding guide prepared for new team members
At the end of the discovery phase, our development team can start working immediately. No need for Sprint 0 or setup period, because everything is ready – just waiting for those first lines of code to be typed.
Technical discovery step-by-step
By following the next steps, we ensure that the project starts with a clear vision, realistic scope and strong technical foundation. This is how we set the stage for successful development:
1. Workshops to gather all requirements
As a first step we want to identify key stakeholders – clients, end-users, any technical leads or third party-vendors.
We like to bring stakeholders together with the development team to capture business goals, understand client vision and pain points.
We will also focus on technical and functional requirements, integration needs, performance expectations and regulatory constraints.
These are not just interview sessions but interactive workshops with focus on brainstorming to ensure all perspectives are considered.
2. Market Analysis
We will analyze the target market, user trends, and competitor products.
This will help us identify your “killer features” that will help your product stand out in the market.
3. Assessment of current state (if working with existing system)
For existing products, we need to evaluate the current systems, infrastructure or legacy code, to identify any gaps and technical challenges.
This helps us make appropriate technical decisions, identify limitations and opportunities for reuse or integration.
4. Technical research and feasibility analysis
We explore the best technology options, APIs, third-party solutions and integrations.
Our goal is to prove technical feasibility and select the right platforms and tools.
Tech stack selection is a key part where we compare backend(Node.js, Python, Java, .NET), frontend(React, Angular), and database (SQL, NoSQL) technologies, as well as authentication and authorization approaches.
We create high-level system architecture diagrams, define data flows, service boundaries and integration points, and assess architecture patterns such as microservices,or service-oriented architecture.
Additionally, we document performance, scalability, reliability, and security requirements – including expected load, response times, uptime targets, and compliance standards (GDPR,HIPAA).
Finally, we define code style guides, documentation practices(Swagger, OpenAPI) and error handling conventions.
5. Infrastructure planning
Infrastructure planning includes cloud provider selection (AWS, Azure), containerization and orchestration(Docker, Kubernetes), monitoring, logging and alerting tools(Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack).
We specify CI/CD pipeline tools and workflows (Jenkins, Github Actions, GitLab CI), branching strategies, code review processes, and automated testing coverage goals.
We also describe the planned release strategy (blue/green development, canary releases, feature flags) and rollback procedures to ensure a robust and maintainable solution.
6. Risk assessment and mitigation planning
We want to identify potential technical, operational and business risks early.
We will propose risk mitigation strategies for each identified risk.
Our goal is to address any issues or dependencies before development begins.
7. Estimations and prioritization of requirements
We will set up a backlog with all collected requirements and estimate development effort and resources for each technical component.
After that we will facilitate workshops applying appropriate prioritization frameworks such as MoSCoW or value vs. effort, to identify most impactful features and opportunities.
8. Define MVP scope
We will clearly outline the Minimum Viable Product with core features and functionalities needed for a successful first release.
We do this by prioritizing requirements, map out core user journeys, and agree on what needs to be delivered in initial or later versions.
9. Design the first look and feel
We will visualize user experience by creating wireframes, mockups, or clickable prototypes.
This is done by gathering feedback from stakeholders to define the design.
10. Prototyping and validation
We create prototypes to validate technical and design assumptions.
We will test integration points and critical workflows as proof-of-concept if needed.
This is also a great opportunity to gather early feedback from stakeholders.
11. Test planning
We will outline initial test scenarios and quality assurance strategies, define acceptance criteria and testing frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright or Cypress for automated testing.
12. Solution proposal
We will document all technical findings, architecture decisions, risk analysis, the chosen tech stack and infrastructure setup.
All of our research, decisions and plans will be written in a discovery report.
Part of our deliverables are also a clear roadmap with milestones, and an overview of next development phases.
And as a by-product of this discovery process, we will also have an onboarding guide ready for future team members – at no extra effort.
Ready to start with technical discovery? Let’s make your project a success.
The discovery phase is a bridge between your initial concept and a successful product launch.
By combining thorough research, technical validation and strategic planning, this phase transforms ideas into actionable steps and clear deliverables.
It not only clarifies what’s achievable, but also highlights the most comprehensive path forward, ensuring a solution that is tairoled to your unique needs, and designed to deliver lasting value for you.
Investing in technical discovery ensures your project starts with a solid foundation, a shared vision and the confidence that every decision is backed by expertise.
