Outline & Iterate Assumptions until they stop changing

Why is this Important? You need to list your key assumptions in such a manner they can be tested and validated by experts, customers, influencers, and users. Validating what you “know” vs what you “think you know”, prevents you from spending resources on a bad idea and giving you an opportunity to refine/modify the idea before going to the next step.

Key Actions Things to Consider Tool Kit
Outline the features and benefits of the proposed product Put it in a form that can be easily shown to people from whom you want feedback (Wireframes, mock ups, etc)
Confirm whether or not there is a real need and if product/service satisfies the need Talk to multiple users and customers to determine if the need is real – 20 min interviews LSWI Consulting
Draft initial Value Proposition

  • Who will benefit and how?
  • Who will lose out and how?
  • Who will pay for it?
This is a critical step

There are a lot of stakeholders in any market and not all of them will benefit from your product; who do you have to convince to buy your product and how?

Value Proposition Template
List assumptions in the following areas:

  • Business model (market size, price, costs, timeline, financial model)
  • Customer Use cases
  • Technical viability & Value Add of product
  • Competition and Substitutes
Your assumptions should be used to determine if the solution is economically viable & technical feasible

What distinguishes your product from the competition?

Do you have reliable market data?

Assumptions Template

Customer Discovery Questions

LSWI Consulting

 

Develop questionnaire(s) for testing assumptions and present to users, experts, influencers, and customers Find a mentor to help you connect to key interviewees

Are your assumptions viable with experts?

Actively avoid leading or biased questions

Continue research and testing assumptions and modifying where necessary and iterate on your assumptions until they are final Have you talked to at least 20 potential users?

Is the idea/product & potential company still viable?

Determine if the product should be taken forward as a company, licensed out, re-scoped, or scrapped Is the Idea/Product more appropriate as a licensing opportunity to an existing company? Tech Transfer Office (If applicable)

 

Refine your Value Proposition Update your initial Value Proposition summary using the information you have learned Value Proposition Template