Continuous Improvement Mindset
What is a continuous improvement mindset?
A continuous improvement mindset is the approach of constantly iterating to make your work practices better over time, even if you can only make small, incremental changes. Teams with a continuous improvement mindset don't expect to get things perfect immediately—they focus on making next week a little better than last week by reducing cycle times, increasing the quality of their work, and refining their methods.
This mindset applies both to how teams do their work and to the diversity and inclusiveness of their processes. It's an extension of the Agile mindset, applied specifically to how teams continuously improve their practices.
How does continuous improvement work in practice?
Instead of aiming for dramatic overnight transformation, teams ask: "How can we make next week look a little better than last week?"
For example, if your team currently talks to customers monthly, you might work toward biweekly interviews. Once that becomes sustainable, you work toward weekly. The focus is on progressively reducing the maximum number of days between discovery activities.
Each team owns the way they work and constantly iterates on their practices. This means teams starting from the same place will end up in different places based on their context—and that's exactly right. The goal is to find what works best for your specific team.
What areas can teams continuously improve?
The continuous improvement mindset applies broadly:
- Cadence: Reducing cycle time between customer interviews, prototyping, or assumption testing
- Work practices: Refining how the team collaborates, makes decisions, and shares knowledge
- Inclusiveness: Progressively interviewing a more diverse set of customers over time
The key is recognizing improvement as an ongoing practice, not a destination you reach.
Learn more:
- Why There’s No Single “Right” Way to Do Discovery: Part 1
- Doing Discovery Well: How to Measure and Guide Your Team
Related terms:
- Continuous Mindset
- Continuous Discovery
- Discovery Mindset
Last Updated: October 25, 2025