Developing Effective Propositions

with Julia Shalet

Starting Point: Recognise Assumptions

Consider those dangerous assumptions you make about what people need, want and how they are going to benefit from your proposition

Turn Assumptions into Testable Hypotheses

Assumptions are vague, often optimistic and untestable.

The vaguer they are, the harder they are to disprove.

What makes a good hypothesis?

They are relatively specific and we can easily see how to design an experiment to get the data that could disprove that hypothesis.

Tip: Think carefully – does evidence already exist elsewhere?

Next: Ask all those underlying questions

Question specifically the who, where, what, when why and how of your assumptions.

Let’s get an example to work on…

Create a statement of what you are trying to achieve

We believe that there is a revenue opportunity

to provide gluten free home-delivered meals to

working dads aged 45 – 55 who find themselves

home alone with no food.

“”

Add Success Criteria

We will know our experiment has succeeded

when we find that > 20% of those dads are

actively seeking gluten free meals and

currently placing orders that cost >£8 more

than once a month.

“

”Tip: Likely there will be multiple hypotheses with their own success criteria and experiments to be designed.

Risky Assumption

Identify Underlying Questions

Turn it into a Statement

Add Success Criteria

= Testable Hypothesis

Process

So what have you got?

Design the Experiment

Who are you going to run the experiment with?

Where are you going to find them?

What method are you going to use to learn from them?

Who to recruit?

They have the problem you are trying to solve

They are aware that they have the problem

They have been actively looking for a solution

They have tried to put together a solution

They have budget to pay for a solution to the problem

Find Early Adopters

Natural Habitat & Face to Face

• To gauge people’s pain

• To assess their workarounds

• To pick up on visual and vocal clues

Where will you find them & how will you learn from them?

One on One Conversation

Group Discussion

Observation

Day in the Life Diaries…

Example methods you can use…

Tip: Generally, surveys are for quantifying after you have qualified the problem exists

Your Turn:

Who are you going to run the experiment with?

Where are you going to find them?

What method are you going to use to learn from them?

More tips available from productdoctor.co.uk

Choose appropriate research methods

Practice doing your own research

Recruit respondents

Position and structure the session

Keep respondents honest and open

Dig deep for relevant information

Gather real not hypothetical insight

Interpret Results