1. Step 21: Test Key Assumptions

2. Outline
Overview
Time to Test
Workshop
September 18, 2018

3. Design empirical tests to validate / refuse assumptions
Overview
This step:
Design empirical tests to validate / refuse assumptions
Do tests quickly and efficiently
Goal:
Gather empirical data that will support or disprove your assumptions
September 18, 2018

4. Outline
Overview
Time to Test
Workshop
September 18, 2018

5. Time to Test Often not hard to test assumptions, e.g.,
Costs? => send RFQ to vendors
Behaviors? => survey customers
Purchasing => survey customers …
RFQ: request for quote
September 18, 2018

6. Test interest of lighthouse or linchpin customers. See if any will:
Time to Test
Test interest of lighthouse or linchpin customers. See if any will:
Prepay for your product
Put down a deposit
Provide letter of intent
Agree to pilot
Express strong interest to purchase
Also test with other customers..
September 18, 2018

7. NOTE: there are entire disciplines related to this
Time to Test
NOTE: there are entire disciplines related to this
Behavioral economics – why people make decisions, how to design experiments
Try to keep your experiments simple!
Only test one variable at a time!!
September 18, 2018

8. Outline
Overview
Time to Test
Workshop
September 18, 2018

9. Based on previous step: identify key assumptions
Workshop
Based on previous step: identify key assumptions
NOW: design experiments to test them
Test a single variable. Try to control other factors
Worksheet #1: Experimental design
Assumptions tested
Resources needed
Outcomes to validate
September 18, 2018

10. Based on previous step: identify key assumptions
Workshop
Based on previous step: identify key assumptions
NOW: design experiments to test them
Test a single variable. Try to control other factors
Worksheet #2: Experimental results
Take notes about each experiment
Remember: tests can be very simple!!
September 18, 2018