The Hero's Journey: A Guide to Product Discovery

This may seem a little ‘left of field’ but hear me out: The ‘Hero’s journey’ used by the greatest storytellers and writers is a powerful framework for product discovery.

Over the course of the next few days, we will be sharing some insights into how to aply the ‘hero’s journey’ to Product discovery. Stay tuned… 

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The hero's journey is a common story template where a protagonist embarks on an adventure into an unknown world, overcomes challenges and fears, and returns home transformed and with a new gift or understanding for their community. Popularised by American Author Joseph Campbell, this narrative arc typically consists of three main stages: Departure, Initiation, and Return

Departure:

The Ordinary World

Your users exist in their current state, using workarounds and accepting friction as "just how things are." This is your baseline.

The Call to Adventure

A problem emerges that demands attention—declining engagement, user complaints, or market shifts. The data is calling you to act.

Refusal of the Call

Teams resist. "Our current solution works fine." "Users haven't explicitly asked for this." Sound familiar?

Meeting the Mentor

This is where customer research becomes your guide. User interviews, data analytics, and market insights provide the wisdom needed to proceed.

Initiation:

Crossing the Threshold

You commit to discovery. You form hypotheses, design experiments, and step into the unknown territory of user needs.

Tests and Trials

Every user interview challenges assumptions. Each prototype reveals new insights. Failed experiments aren't failures—they're plot twists that redirect your journey.

The Ordeal

The moment you confront the hardest truth—maybe your original hypothesis was wrong, or the problem is more complex than anticipated.

The Return:

The Reward

Breakthrough insights emerge. You understand the real user need, the core job-to-be-done, the emotion driving behaviour.

The Road Back

Armed with clarity, you return to your team to share learnings and begin solution development.

Return Transformed

You've become a more empathetic PM, your team better understands users, and you're building something that truly matters.

The hero's journey reminds us that great products aren't built in conference rooms. They're discovered through venturing into user reality, facing uncomfortable truths, and emerging with genuine insights.

What's your current discovery adventure teaching you?