Assumption testing
product developmententrepreneurshipresearchstrategic planningrisk management
What Is Assumption testing?
Identify beliefs that a decision or plan depends on and seek evidence that could confirm, weaken, or disprove them.
Why Does Assumption testing Matter?
Assumption testing matters because plans often fail at the point where an untested belief was treated as a fact.
What Does It Look Like?
Someone applying assumption testing may:
- •writes down assumptions before committing to a plan
- •ranks assumptions by how much damage a wrong assumption could cause
- •looks for evidence that could falsify an attractive idea
- •changes the plan when a critical assumption proves weak
How to Develop Assumption testing
You can develop it by:
- •before starting a project, list five assumptions and the evidence needed to test each
- •choose the riskiest assumption and design the smallest useful test
- •review a failed decision and identify the assumption that was never verified
Where Can Assumption testing Be Useful?
Assumption testing can be useful in areas such as:
product developmententrepreneurshipresearchstrategic planningrisk management
Careers Where This Skill Can Be Useful
Explore Related Skills
Want to Know Which Skills Are Strongest in Your Profile?
Exploring a skill can help you understand it. But your Penagix Assessment goes further by identifying your natural-gift profile and showing how your strongest gifts translate into practical intelligence.