Opportunity Space
The opportunity space is the collection of customer needs, pain points, and desires that, if addressed, will drive your desired outcome.
If you interview continuously, your opportunity space will always be evolving—expanding as you learn about new needs, contracting as you address problems, and gaining clarity as you learn more about specific needs.
How does the opportunity space work?
Your job is not to address every customer opportunity, but rather to address the opportunities that will drive your desired outcome and have the biggest impact—this is how you create value for customers in a way that creates value for your business.
On an opportunity solution tree, the opportunity space sits between the outcome at the top and the solution space below.
Why does the opportunity space matter?
Mapping the opportunity space is how you give structure to the ill-structured problem of reaching your desired outcome. Without this structure, it's easy to bounce from one opportunity to the next—reacting to each and every need or pain point you hear about.
Limiting your work to only the opportunities that might drive your desired outcome is what ensures that your products are viable over the long run and not just desirable in the moment.
Learn more:
- Opportunity Mapping: An Essential Skill for Driving Product Outcomes
Related terms:
- Opportunity Solution Tree
- Outcome
- Customer Needs
- Continuous Discovery
Last Updated: October 25, 2025