Complete firstBounded subject
The scope and purpose of Product Kata are stated as a concrete question.
Without scope, product kata record becomes arbitrary.
Method guideProduct Discovery
Product Kata
A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.
ComplexityMedium
Time1-2 Wochen je Loop
Participants3-10
FormatWorkshop + async
MaturityEstablished
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstAccess to relevant perspectives
Strategic direction, measured current state, team capacity for experiments and domain decision makers are available.
Without these perspectives, central claims in product kata record remain unsupported.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Strategic direction, measured current state, team capacity for experiments, shared workspace, source links, and decision log.
People / roles
Product team · product manager · coach
Pre-read
Collect Strategic direction, measured current state, team capacity for experiments in advance and mark open assumptions.
Time needed
Weekly 30–60 minutes plus experiment
Setup
Prepare direction → current state → target condition → obstacle → experiment → learn visibly and calibrate assessment terms before starting.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
Which obstacle separates the current state from the next target condition, and what experiment addresses it?
04
Flow
Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall
Product Kata connects strategic direction with a measurable next target condition. The team selects the biggest obstacle, runs an experiment, and updates the current state.
product kata record
Fictional worked example
direction → current state → target condition → obstacle → experiment → learn as a precise working structure with a fictional example.
Direction
Direction information to record
Selbstständige Reviews.
Current state
Current state information to record
54 % ohne Hilfe.
Target/obstacle
Target/obstacle information to record
65 % in 6 Wochen; Konfliktschritt unklar.
Experiment/learn
Experiment/learn information to record
Test mit 12 Teams; +8 pp.
The example demonstrates the domain logic of Product Kata; worksheets remain blank.
- 1
Direction
Direction
Goal
Produce direction so the core question “Which obstacle separates the current state from the next target condition, and what experiment addresses it?” can be answered with stronger support.
Inputs for this step
- Strategic direction
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Actions
- Clarify strategic direction and affected user outcome.
- Record source, rationale, and open uncertainty directly in direction.
Output
direction
direction · source · uncertainty · next decision
Quality check
Is direction longer-lived than one experiment?
Pitfall
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state. Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
- 2
Current state
Current state
Goal
Produce current state so the core question “Which obstacle separates the current state from the next target condition, and what experiment addresses it?” can be answered with stronger support.
Inputs for this step
- direction
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Actions
- Capture current state with data and observation.
- Record source, rationale, and open uncertainty directly in current state.
Output
current state
current state · source · uncertainty · next decision
Quality check
Are baseline and context current?
Pitfall
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state. Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
- 3
Target/obstacle
Target/obstacle
Goal
Produce target condition so the core question “Which obstacle separates the current state from the next target condition, and what experiment addresses it?” can be answered with stronger support.
Inputs for this step
- current state
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Actions
- Choose next measurable target condition and biggest obstacle.
- Record source, rationale, and open uncertainty directly in target condition.
Output
target condition
target condition · source · uncertainty · next decision
Quality check
Does target describe a condition rather than output?
Pitfall
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state. Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
- 4
Experiment
Experiment/learn
Goal
Produce kata learning so the core question “Which obstacle separates the current state from the next target condition, and what experiment addresses it?” can be answered with stronger support.
Inputs for this step
- target condition
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Actions
- Run experiment with expectation and update state.
- Record source, rationale, and open uncertainty directly in kata learning.
Output
kata learning
kata learning · source · uncertainty · next decision
Quality check
Was result compared with expectation?
Pitfall
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state. Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Sketch: what the artifact looks like
Form
Versioned product kata record with date, sources, owners, and next review.
Versioning / ownership
Retain date, source, assumption state, and decision for every version of product kata record.
Tool alternatives
- product kata record as board or document
- Source and evidence register
- Decision and action log
product-kata-working-template.md
Plan Product Kata around its domain steps and the concrete decision question.
Product Kata: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Establish and review the practice Time: Weekly 30–60 minutes plus experiment
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: Strategic direction, measured current state, team capacity for experiments, shared workspace, source links, and decision log.
- Roles: Product team · product manager · coach
- Advance information: Collect Strategic direction, measured current state, team capacity for experiments in advance and mark open assumptions.
- Overall time needed: Weekly 30–60 minutes plus experiment
- Setup: Prepare direction → current state → target condition → obstacle → experiment → learn visibly and calibrate assessment terms before starting.
Prepare for the work steps
Direction: Direction
- Strategic direction
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Current state: Current state
- direction
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Target/obstacle: Target/obstacle
- current state
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
Experiment: Experiment/learn
- target condition
- measured current state
- team capacity for experiments
product kata record
Direction
Direction information to record
...
Current state
Current state information to record
...
Target/obstacle
Target/obstacle information to record
...
Experiment/learn
Experiment/learn information to record
...
Enter only real input, sources, and decisions.
Direction: Direction
Expected artifact: direction
direction · source · uncertainty · next decision
Entry:
...
- Is direction longer-lived than one experiment?
Current state: Current state
Expected artifact: current state
current state · source · uncertainty · next decision
Entry:
...
- Are baseline and context current?
Target/obstacle: Target/obstacle
Expected artifact: target condition
target condition · source · uncertainty · next decision
Entry:
...
- Does target describe a condition rather than output?
Experiment: Experiment/learn
Expected artifact: kata learning
kata learning · source · uncertainty · next decision
Entry:
...
- Was result compared with expectation?
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/product-kata/run-sheet
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.
product-kata-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Direction: independent traceable reviews. Current state: 54% completion without help. Target condition: 65% in six weeks. Obstacle: unclear next action after conflict. Experiment: conflict-resolution step for 12 teams; success +8 percentage points without higher abandonment.
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow
- DirectionThe target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.View in phase
- Current stateThe target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.View in phase
- Target/obstacleThe target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.View in phase
- Experiment/learnThe target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.View in phase
Trap
Direction
Symptom
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.
What to do
Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Trap
Current state
Symptom
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.
What to do
Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Trap
Target/obstacle
Symptom
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.
What to do
Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
Trap
Experiment/learn
Symptom
The target condition becomes a delivery list or the experiment starts without a measured current state.
What to do
Quantify the outcome condition, choose one obstacle, and close each cycle with a new measure.
08
Stop criteria
When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach
product kata record answers the core question with traceable evidence or explicitly marked uncertainty.
Owners, next actions, and review dates are named for open points.
Finished the method guide?
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.