---
name: discovering-value-streams
description: Use when a product idea, business problem, platform initiative, strategy item, or vague roadmap request needs customer outcome framing, value stream boundaries, flow steps, measures, and first capability candidates.
---

# Discovering Value Streams

## Overview

Frame the work as a flow of value before decomposing it into capabilities, features, or stories. The output is a value stream brief that explains why the work exists and what must improve.

Use `superpowers:brainstorming` when installed; otherwise use an equivalent design-discovery workflow when the goal, customer, or flow is ambiguous.

## Process

1. Identify the customer or beneficiary.
2. Name the trigger that starts the stream and the outcome that ends it.
3. Map 5-9 major activities from trigger to outcome.
4. Identify current friction: waits, handoffs, rework, quality failures, risk, toil, or missing feedback.
5. Define outcome measures before solution measures.
6. Mark systems, teams, regulations, and operational constraints that shape delivery.
7. Propose 3-7 capability candidates.

## Value Stream Brief

```markdown
# Value Stream: <name>

**Customer / beneficiary:** <who receives value>
**Trigger:** <event that starts the stream>
**Outcome:** <observable end state>
**Why now:** <business, customer, risk, or operational reason>

## Flow
1. <major activity>
2. <major activity>
3. <major activity>

## Friction
- <delay, handoff, defect, risk, toil, missing feedback>

## Measures
- Outcome: <customer/business/operational measure>
- Flow: <lead time, load, quality, predictability, or recovery measure>
- Guardrail: <security, reliability, cost, compliance, usability>

## Boundaries
- In scope: <products, channels, systems, teams>
- Out of scope: <explicit exclusions>

## Candidate Capabilities
- <capability candidate and benefit hypothesis>
```

## Gate Before Capabilities

Proceed to `shaping-capabilities` when installed, or to an equivalent capability-shaping workflow, only when:

- The stream has one clear customer or beneficiary.
- The beginning and end are observable.
- Measures are not just delivery activity counts.
- Capability candidates describe abilities the organization or product needs, not implementation tasks.