Types of Assumptions
Assumptions come in all shapes and sizes. As product trios, we are primarily concerned with assumptions in the following categories:47
Desirability assumptions: Does anyone want it? Will our customers get value from it? As we create solutions, we assume that our customers will want to use our solution, that they will be willing to do the things that we need them to do, and that they’ll trust us to provide those solutions. All of these types of assumptions fall into the desirability category.
Viability assumptions: Should we build it? There are many ideas that will work for our customers but won’t work for our business. If we want to continue to serve customers over time, we need to make sure that our solutions are viable—that they create a return for our business. This typically means that the idea will generate more revenue than it will cost to build, service, and maintain. However, some ideas are designed to be loss leaders and instead contribute to another business goal besides revenue. But somewhere down the line, the idea must create enough value for the business to be worth the effort to create and maintain.
Feasibility assumptions: Can we build it? We primarily think about feasibility as technical feasibility. Is it technically possible? Feasibility assumptions, however, can also include, “What’s feasible for our business?” For example, will our legal or security team allow for it? Will our culture support it? Does it comply with regulations?48
Usability assumptions: Is it usable? Can customers find what they need? Will they understand how to use it or what they need to do? Are they able to do what we need them to do? Is it accessible?
Ethical assumptions: Is there any potential harm in building this idea? This is an area that is grossly underdeveloped for many product trios. As an industry, we need to do a better job of asking questions like: What data are we collecting? How are we storing it? How are we using it? If our customers had full transparency to those answers, would they be okay with it?
But this category isn’t limited to data usage. While some products or services have clear potential harm—think autonomous vehicles—even more pedestrian products have the potential for harm. Reading the news has the potential to change our mood or disrupt our day. Facebook has the potential to inspire FOMO, imposter syndrome, or a feeling of falling behind our peers, not to mention it’s habit-forming in a way that may be detrimental to our well-being. Every product introduces some potential for harm. As product trios, we don’t always need to mitigate every potential area for harm, but we should be aware of the impact our products and services are having and ask how we can reduce the potential harm.