Time to put those hunches to the test! Take each key assumption and quantified value proposition (QVP) you've identified and design clever, budget-friendly experiments to see if they actually hold water.

Think of this as your product's reality check - a series of mini-experiments using your prototype to separate facts from wishful thinking. And here's the thing - sometimes the answers will make you wince, but discovering problems now is way cheaper than finding them after launch!

When crafting these tests, look through all three crucial lenses (Desirability, Feasibility, Commerciality): Will people want it? Can we build it? Can we make money from it?

Benefits

This methodical testing approach delivers measurable value to your product development:

Risk Reduction: Studies show prototype testing reduces development risk by up to 60% by catching flawed assumptions early, potentially saving 3-6 months of development time and significant budget.
Evidence-Based Decisions: Transform gut feelings into data-driven insights, giving you concrete evidence to present to stakeholders and investors about your product's viability.
Cost Efficiency: Identifying problems during prototype testing costs 10x less than discovering them post-launch, with the average cost of fixing issues dropping from $10,000+ to under $1,000.
User-Centered Validation: Gain direct user feedback on your core value propositions, ensuring you're building something people actually want rather than what you think they need.
Stakeholder Confidence: Provide concrete validation data that builds internal support and external investment confidence, with tested assumptions carrying significantly more weight than untested hypotheses.

When to Use

Use this method after completing the Surface Assumptions method and when you have a working prototype ready for user testing. Ideal timing is when you've identified your top 5 - 10 critical assumptions and need to validate them before committing to full development. This is the crucial bridge between prototype creation and MVP launch - use it when you need evidence-based decisions about whether to proceed, pivot, or iterate your solution.