Step 20
Key Assumptions Identification
Identifying Key Assumptions is the first part of the process to validate your primary market research by looking for customers to take specific actions, which will happen in the next step.
Before the assumptions can be tested, they need to be broken down into their component parts, so that each assumption represents a specific, narrow idea that can be empirically tested in the next step using a single experiment design. Do not worry about how you will design the experiment yet. Focus on breaking out all the Key Assumptions, because if you skip over an assumption fearing that testing it is difficult, you will neglect a potentially important factor in your business’s health.
This step does not involve a lot of new work, but it is important. It is nice to have a step that is a bit easier, isn’t it? You are getting close to the end now—hang in there!
Videos
Content will be published as it becomes available.
Worksheets
Examples
Content will be published as it becomes available.
Topics
Process Guide
Start by reviewing the work you have done in each step of the 24 steps thus far and build a list of Key Assumptions you have made at each step. Prioritize the list and identify the 5–10 assumptions that are the most crucial to the success of your product. Use Worksheet 20.1 to list these assumptions, the related step(s) from the 24 steps, the risk level of the step (low, medium, high, critical), and briefly describe what will happen to your company if your assumption turns out to be incorrect.
In the next step, you will test these assumptions, but for now, don’t worry about how you will test them, or if you will be biased toward easily tested assumptions. Your goal for now is to identify the most important assumptions, regardless of your ability to test them.
Books
By Giff Constable and Tom Fishburne
Very easy read and yet packed with practical knowledge about how to do interviews.
Content will be published as it becomes available.
Other Resources
Topic title
Content will be published as it becomes available.
The Disciplined Entrepreneurship Toolbox
Stay ahead by using the 24 steps together with your team, mentors, and investors.
The books
This methodology with 24 steps and 15 tactics was created at MIT to help you translate your technology or idea into innovative new products. The books were designed for first-time and repeat entrepreneurs so that they can build great ventures.
