From Hypothesis to MVP: Building the Case for a £14.1M Product Opportunity
How product discovery, customer insight, and commercial modelling shaped the roadmap and secured executive investment for a new solar design tool
At a glance
The Challenge
Declining revenue, unclear digital roadmap, no product structure or direction for innovation.
Solution: Developed digital product strategy, led discovery and MVP definition for a solar tool, created data-backed
The Solution
Developed digital product strategy, led discovery and MVP definition for a solar tool, created data-backed business case, presented to C-suite, and established product team and working model.
Outcomes Delivered
👥
✅
💷
Product team created and operational
💡
Segen, the UK’s leading solar tech distributor, faced declining revenue and lacked product structure for digital innovation. A product strategy was developed from scratch, including a new MVP solar design tool and a business case that unlocked £14.1M in annual revenue potential. The team was mobilised within 3 months and the MVP approved by C-suite stakeholders.
£14.1M revenue opportunity identified
MVP validated and funded
Exec buy-in driven through clarity and commercial insight
Segen is the UK’s top distributor of renewable energy products. Despite their market lead, growth had stalled, and their digital experience lagged behind competitors. A new CTO brought in external help to initiate transformation.
The Challenge
The Approach
Years of underinvestment in digital product led to stagnation, unclear priorities, and missed revenue. Leadership needed to identify quick wins, define a product roadmap, and justify further investment.
Defined a modern digital product strategy aligned to the business’ commercial goals
Conducted discovery with internal stakeholders and customers
Developed the MVP specification for a solar panel design tool tailored to installers
Used market, government, and performance data to model commercial impact
Presented a comprehensive business case to C-suite for buy-in
Established and coached a cross-functional product team
Customer and commercial focus discovery
3-month discovery and business case development period
Delivered MVP feature set based on customer jobs and pain points
Engaged engineering, UX, and commercial teams in collaborative workshops
Estimated TAM based on national solar install volumes and business performance
Created a fully operational product team and kick-started MVP build
“I am so pleased with where the design tool team has landed, and I put that all down to Ryan’s involvement. We have a much better release 1 product, I’m certain that’s due to Ryan’s questioning and pushing.”
— Product Director, Segen
The Results
💷 £14.1M annual revenue opportunity uncovered
🛠 MVP funded and approved
👥 Cross-functional team embedded and scaling
🚀 Digital strategy adopted by execs to guide ongoing product roadmap
This work didn’t just define a product — it helped define the company’s digital future. From discovery to delivery kickoff, the project unlocked commercial clarity, investor confidence, and a fully-funded MVP with long-term potential.