Who is the customer?
Understand the people the product serves and where their needs differ. Review available research and speak with colleagues who work directly with customers. Treat internal descriptions as a starting point to explore rather than unquestionable facts.
What outcome matters next?
Ask what the team is trying to change and why now. Check how that goal connects to the broader organisation. If people give different answers, surface the difference without assuming that a lack of alignment is someone’s fault.
How is work selected?
Learn the route from an idea or request to a committed piece of work. Notice what evidence is expected, how urgency is assessed and where dependencies affect the order. Understanding the process helps you contribute constructively.
Who makes which decisions?
Clarify the roles of product, design, engineering and commercial stakeholders. Ask where the team has autonomy and where an approval is necessary. Avoid relying on job titles alone to explain how decisions happen.
How does the team learn?
Look at experiments, outcome reviews and customer feedback loops. Find out whether results actually change plans. Your first useful contribution may be helping the team make an existing learning loop clearer rather than introducing a new process.
Learn how your team chooses work, defines success and shares decision ownership.
