In the discovery phases of a project, I always try to get clear on the foundational elements. For example, "what problem are we trying to solve?" "and is this really the problem that we should be solving?" It's important to not just take any requests, but to question if it indeed has value/impact for our customers/business. It's also important to understand what the goals and success metrics are. I work closely with cross-functional partners and stakeholders to clearly define what it is that we're doing and WHY. And to make sure we are all on the same page, I document our decisions, notes in a written doc. Usually, these projects start with a PRD (Product Requirement Document), so I like to work closely with the PMs to help define the requirements.