Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
Class 6: Identifying and (In)Validating Assumptions
@cwodtkewww.eleganthack.com
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
LAST WEEK
3
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
“NEVER WRITE ON THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS, THAT’S WHY GOD GAVE US POST-IT NOTES”
-ALEX OSTERWALDER
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
Do the Math
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
ASSUMPTIONS
8
(If you’re lucky)Research
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Design
Develop
Waterfall
Meh
Research
Define
IdeatePrototyp
eTest
Design
Develop
The Problem
Illustration by Kate Rutter
Lean is about Learning
Be wary here. Build the smallest possible thing you can to answer a question.
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
From Google Ventures Design Sprint http://www.gv.com/lib/the-gv-research-sprint-a-4-day-process-for-answering-important-startup-questions
By using Lean Startup, we identify assumptions before we base our whole
product strategy on them.
Why is it better?
So, what is an assumption,
anyway?
Types of Assumptions
Problem
Solution
Implementation
Types of Assumptions
Problem: Is there a problem?
Solution: Is this the right way to solve it?
Implementation: Can you build & sell it before running out of money?
Business concept by Laura Klein. Illustration by Kate Rutter
“People who have pets are upset by cost.”
Problem
Illustration by Kate Rutter
“People need a marketplace for pet jobs.”
Solution
Illustration by Kate Rutter
“Pets can work!”
Implementation
Illustration by Kate Rutter
DropBox
For Example?
Do people have trouble accessing files across
multiple devices?
What’s The Problem?
People Have Multiple Devices
People Want to Access the Same Files Across Those
Devices
This Is Hard to Do
Problem Assumptions
Are people willing to download multiple applications and trust
storing files in the cloud?
What’s The Solution?
People Will Download DropBox on Multiple Devices
People Will Trust the Service with Important Data
People Understand How DropBox Folders Work
Solution Assumptions
Can we sync files across multiple devices quickly and
accurately enough?
What’s The Implementation?
We Can Build a Product that Syncs Files Across Multiple
Operating Systems
The Product Will Sync Quickly and Accurately
Implementation Assumptions
Your Turn
For Product to succeed, it is necessary that
___________________.
Here’s The Template
Write down your assumptions
3For Product to succeed, it is necessary that ___________________.
Categorize Your Assumptions
P
SI
1
What Makes an Assumption
Risky?
So, What’s Yours?
Likely(to fail)
Unlikely(to fail)
Annoying
Devastating
2
Building is NEVER your
Riskiest Assumption
Ok, Almost Never Illustration by Kate Rutter
Targets ChangeIllustration by Kate Rutter
A hypothesis statement should
contain:1.What you believe2.How you will know if you were right
Problem Hypothesis Example:
We believe people like customer type have a need for (or problem doing)need/action/behavior. We will know we have validated this when we see quantitative/measurable outcome or qualitative/observable outcome. *
*This text was almost entirely stolen from Janice Fraser.
Solution Hypothesis Example:
We believe people like customer type will solve their problem by solution behavior. We will know we have validated this when we see quantitative/measurable outcome or qualitative/observable outcome.
Implementation Hypothesis Example:
We believe our company can provide solution by implementation method.We will know we have validated this when we see quantitative/measurable outcome or qualitative/observable outcome.
Now You Try ItWrite Down:1.What you believe2.How you will know if you were right
2
Build Your Test
Various Types of Tests
Landing Pages
Landing pages are good for…
learning whether people are interested enough in
your idea to give you their email addresses
Landing pages are bad for…
Everything Else
Landing pages help validate:
The Problem
Audience Building
Audience Building is good for…
learning the size of the audience you can attract to your product before
committing a lot of money and technical
resources.
How to build an audience
1. Give away expertise for free on a regular basis. 2. Establish yourself as an expert in the space. 3. Build a community of like minded people.
Audience Building helps validate:
The Problem
Concierge
Concierge is good for…
learning what is actually required for your product before
committing a lot of money and technical
resources.
Concierge: How Do You Do It?
Provide a service for someone manually.Figure out the parts of the problem that users need the most help with.
Concierge helps you understand:The Problem
Concierge helps validate:The Solution
Wizard of Oz
Wizard of Oz is good for…
learning what you need to automate before committing a lot of
money and technical resources
How Do You Do Wizard of Oz?
Use humans instead of automation until you can’t. Do things that don’t scale.
Wizard of Oz helps validate:
The Implementation
Fake Door
Fake Doors are good for…
learning whether users have any interest in your feature before committing a lot of
money and technical resources
Fake Door: How do you do it
Add the first interaction with an interface.Provide a good experience for the user even if it’s not what they expect.
Fake Doors help validate:
The Solution
Sell It
Selling is good for…
learning whether users will pay for your product
before committing a lot of money and technical
resources
How do you Sell?Post your idea on Kickstarter
Ask for a credit card or pre-payment
Selling helps validate:The Solution
Your Turn
Identify the Best Method of Validation
Problem Solution Implementation
Landing Page
Audience Building
Concierge
Wizard of Oz
Fake Door
Selling3
@lauraklein | usersknow.com
QUESTIONS?
80
Developed by Christina Wodtke & Laura Klein (clever bits by Laura) with illustrations from Kate Rutter. @cwodtke | cwodtke.com @lauraklein | usersknow.com @katerutter | intelleto.com
Homework!•Create a landing page for your product (or run some other validation test if you prefer).