The Questions Every Entrepreneur and Product Manager Must Be Able to Answer in a Kickoff Meeting

This article is designed to lay out for product managers and startup founders the key questions that, when answered, will set you up for a winning start with your UX agency.

After a long and exhausting process, you’ve finally decided to embark on a joint journey with a UX design agency that will help and guide you through the definition, planning, and design of your product or app. As with any collaborative process, the kickoff meeting is important—if not critical—to realizing the full potential of your partnership.

The importance of the kickoff meeting is immense, and to succeed, you need to present your idea and project as clearly as possible. This clarity can be achieved by preparing answers in advance to key questions that are likely to come up—and almost certainly will—during the kickoff.

What are the goals of the kickoff meeting, or Discovery Workshop?

As its name suggests, the Discovery Workshop is meant to learn and discover more about your company and product. The meeting usually lasts two to three hours, during which you’ll want to introduce all key stakeholders, discuss the market, users, and more. Because the meeting covers so many topics, it can easily become unfocused.

Below is a list of preliminary questions. If you answer them before the kickoff, you’ll be prepared and focused.
Don’t worry if you don’t have answers to everything—some questions will be answered during the process with your UX agency, and sometimes the process itself is meant to clarify these points.

For your convenience, and to help you organize your thoughts, we’ve divided the questions into four main categories:

• Ecosystem
• Goals & Objectives / Project Description
• The User
• Design Language

Ecosystem

• Who are the main players in your vertical?
• What business models are common in your vertical? (Provide examples if possible)
• What is the most significant challenge for the project?
• What could cause the venture/product to fail?
• Is there an MVP?
• What is the timeline? Are there any critical milestones?

Goals & Objectives / Project Description

• What is the goal of the venture/product?
• What type of product is it? Which category does it belong to?
• What problem or pain point does it solve?
• What are the expectations for the project at the end of the process?
• Which KPIs are you hoping to impact?

The User

• What is the main value proposition the product offers users?
• Who are the target audiences (personas) for the product? (There is usually more than one.)
• Is the venture aimed at existing customers, new customers, or both?
• What are the use cases for the product?
• What value does each persona gain from using the product?
• Have you defined the user flow for each use case? If so, please elaborate.
• Do your users or customers come from different countries or cultures?
• What is the relevant age range for the product? Gender?
• What is the digital skill level of your users or customers?
• Define the first-time experience for your users.
• What will make users return and use the system again?

Design Language

• Which products/platforms do you like?
• Do you have any design inspirations?
• Have you gone through a branding process? (Not mandatory)
• Is there a common design language in your vertical?
• Are there any design elements that are a “no-go” in your industry?
• Do you need specification, design, or both?

Take the time to review and answer these questions so your kickoff meeting will be a fertile ground for a solid and stable start. If you master the answers to these questions—you’re on the right track! At the same time, don’t worry about questions you can’t answer. No one knows everything, and remember that the kickoff is a great forum not only to present but also to listen and discuss. It’s a multi-voice conversation where you’ll try to provide as many answers as possible, but you’ll also receive information from others, ask questions, and seek clarification on topics that are still open or unclear. This doesn’t indicate ignorance, but rather depth, curiosity, collaboration, and thoroughness.

Remember: The kickoff meeting with your UX/UI agency is the beginning of a process with professionals who have faced these questions and challenges in various companies and products. Sometimes product managers have ready and professional answers, and sometimes, through collaboration, you’ll refine the answers and processes that ultimately lead to the definition and design of outstanding products that users love.