Every project at Yuke starts with a discovery phase. It's how we de-risk the engagement for both sides — we understand what we're building, and you get confidence that we're the right team. Here's exactly how we run it.
Day 1: Stakeholder Interviews
We talk to everyone who matters. Founders, product leads, engineers, and — when possible — actual users. The goal is to understand:
- What problem the product solves
- Who the target users are and what they care about
- What success looks like in 3, 6, and 12 months
- What's been tried before and why it didn't work
We record everything (with permission) and share transcripts. Nothing gets lost in translation.
Day 2: Competitive & Market Analysis
We map out the competitive landscape. Not just a list of competitors, but a deep look at:
- How competitors solve the same problem
- Where they fall short (gaps we can exploit)
- Pricing models and positioning strategies
- Technical approaches they're using
This isn't busywork — it directly informs which features matter and which are table stakes.
Day 3: Feature Mapping & Prioritization
We take everything from Days 1-2 and turn it into a feature map. Every feature gets scored on two axes: impact (how much it moves the needle) and effort (how long it takes to build).
High impact, low effort goes first. We're ruthless about cutting scope here. Most products try to launch with 3x more features than they need.
Day 4: Technical Architecture
With the scope defined, we design the technical architecture. This includes:
- Tech stack recommendation with justification
- Database schema (first draft)
- Third-party integrations and API design
- Infrastructure and deployment strategy
- Security considerations and compliance requirements
We don't over-architect. The goal is a solid foundation that can evolve, not a perfect blueprint that takes months to design.
Day 5: Discovery Brief & Proposal
We compile everything into a discovery brief — a single document that covers:
- Product vision and success metrics
- User personas and key workflows
- Prioritized feature list (MVP vs. future)
- Technical architecture overview
- Timeline with milestones
- Budget breakdown by phase
We present this live, walk through the reasoning, and answer every question. By the end, you have a clear picture of what we'll build, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Why 5 Days?
Five days is enough to be thorough without losing momentum. Longer discovery phases tend to produce diminishing returns — the insights from week 3 rarely change the direction set in week 1.
More importantly, a 5-day sprint keeps the cost low enough that it's a no-brainer. It's a small investment to validate whether we're the right fit before committing to a full engagement.