Strategy 2019

The Experiment Library

A 44-experiment reference poster, sorted by Discovery/Validation phase, for picking the right test for an assumption.

What it is

Eight sub-category rows split across two phases: Discovery (Exploration, Data Analysis, Interest Discovery, Discussion Prototypes, Preference & Prioritization) on one side, Validation (Interaction Prototypes, Call to Action, Simulation) on the other, each row naming its experiment types by name — Customer Interview, 404 Test, Clickable Prototype, Crowdfunding, and dozens more. It's a reference used alongside the Assumption Map and Test Card, not a canvas filled in on its own.

Reach for it when

  • An assumption from mapping needs a test, and the team keeps reaching for the same customer interview every time.
  • A validation-stage experiment like crowdfunding gets proposed before any discovery-stage learning has happened.
  • Planning a round of experiments needs a shared vocabulary broader than 'run an MVP.'

Running it

  1. Start from the top-priority assumption(s) coming out of assumption mapping.
  2. Decide whether the current stage of learning calls for a Discovery or a Validation experiment.
  3. Browse the matching sub-category row on the poster for a fitting experiment type.
  4. Open a Test Card for each chosen experiment to plan setup, cost, and success criteria, then capture results on Learning Cards.

Watch out: Teams default to the same one or two familiar experiments regardless of what the assumption actually needs, or reach for a Validation-phase test like crowdfunding before Discovery-phase learning has de-risked the idea.