(2023-04-17) Cutler Tbm214 From Assumption To Next Step

John Cutler: TBM 214: From Assumption to Next Step. I used to do a lot of assumption mapping and elicitation exercises. One of the significant challenges was what to do with all of the discomfort and anxiety-inducing assumptions

word choice to convey confidence and intent

Incorporating evidence

A proposed next step (next action)

The next step doesn’t need to be a demand or pitch, either—it can be a proposal to do more research, consider another perspective, etc. In a sense, the next step helps make the assumption real (similar to how a proposed option makes an outcome real).

So I started to think about how skilled product leaders naturally talk about assumptions. And a couple of things stood out: