< Previouswhen testing concepts is the impact of culture and timing on the eventual adoption and success of the products once they’re released into the market, so make sure you have both at the forefront of your mind when designing your tests and conducting interviews with people. Experiment By conducting experiments with your interviewees you’ll likely discover a number of new ideas and thus potentially new theories which may prove useful as you continue to test and then refine your concepts. As a result you should keep the testing process dynamic and use what you learn to dynamically modify and redefine your testing criteria as you go on. Get Out Always remember that testing is best done away from your office where neither you or your test subjects or interviewees are exposed to any unconscious biases or pressure. Interviews Group and face to face interviews are always preferable to running surveys when you’re trying to gauge the reaction people have to your ideas and concepts since they provide a greater level of insight, especially when you ask open ended questions and want to delve into more detail. However, if you want to evaluate multiple ideas quickly then surveys are often the only option. Either way though choose your approach carefully. Mock Ups When testing your ideas and concepts with other members of your team, your company, or third parties, do your best to make the experience and tests and realistic as possible. While that might be difficult at times there are a number of ways you can achieve this, such as by mocking up landing pages and story boards, as well as by using other visualisation techniques. Primary Theories Each program is different so think about the critical factors that will make your concepts a success for your program, these will then become the primary theories you evaluate during this stage. As you test each theory with your Notes: 260311institute.cominterviewees you should record the results as a percentage that reflects the conversion rate of potential customers from one phase of the buying cycle and customer journey to another. This is known as Innovation Accounting. Seek Outsiders In order to thoroughly test some of your ideas and concepts you may need to reach out to trusted third parties who are experts in the industry or product area you are interested in to see what they have to say. Seek Out The First Provided you have done your research thoroughly enough then the chances are that many of your ideas and concepts are new and untested. As a result you will likely have to be more diligent in your search for early adopters or suitable candidates who you can test them for you. Notes: 261311institute.comLAUNCH STAGE • PIONEER TEAM • TEST STAGE TASK SUMMARY Your task during the TEST STAGE is to test as many of the concepts you generated during the MINDSTORM STAGE as possible and eliminate the ones that wouldn’t stand up to first contact with customers. SCHEDULE You have THREE DAYS to complete this stage. MONTUE WEDTHUFRISATSUN Discuss your objectives, clearly communicate expectations. KICK OFF WORKSHOP TEST WORKSHOP Start testing your ideas, see if they would survive customer contact. Review your progress and park any ideas that didn’t pass your tests. WRAP UP WORKSHOPLAUNCH STAGE • PIONEER TEAM • TEST STAGE GUIDANCE ACTIVITY LIST1. Conduct a Kick Off Workshop. 2. Conduct a Test Workshop. 3. Conduct a Wrap Up Workshop. TIPS1. Always keep the programs objectives at the forefront of your mind. 2. Be open minded. 3. Be quantitative when testing your concepts. 4. Don’t be afraid to be critical. 5. Pay special attention to how you unveil your concepts to your customer groups. 6. Take the customers point of view. 7. Remember customers think linearly not exponentially and that this will need to be addressed. 8. Retain an exponential mindset. CRUCIAL MOMENTS1. Identifying the concepts with the most potential. 2. Revealing your concepts to customers. 3. The customers opinion is the moment of truth. RISKS1. Customers in the testing process don’t like anything. 2. Customers linear thinking drags you back towards business as usual. 3. Participants aren’t objective in their testing. 4. Participants don’t ask enough open questions. 5. Participants don’t get enough feedback. 6. Participants don’t turn up. 7. Participants run out of time. 8. Participants test concepts with the wrong user groups and the wrong mix of people. 9. You don’t have the necessary protections in place to ensure the confidentiality of your program when engaging third parties. DELIVERABLES1. A summary of your findings categorised by priority and impact. 2. A list of your top five concepts. OUTCOMEBy the end of this stage you will have sufficiently tested your concepts and theories with customer groups, evaluated their potential, and started the selection process.ASSUMPTION MAPPER 311 INSTITUTE : HOW TO BUILD EXPONENTIAL ENTERPRISES: TEST STAGE Every concept is full of assumptions and that’s very normal. With this tool we try to identify those assumptions and map them to create an actionable overview of which assumptions to test first. Some assumptions are so big that the concept could collapse if not validated by your customers. Start preparing you’ll need to test this as soon as possibleGet out of the building and test this now Easy but non-essentialDon’t waste your time on this -TESTING DIFFICULTY+ - IMPORTANCE + Click or scan to download this resource and other innovation resources. TEAM NAME AND NOTES:INNOVATION BATTLEFIELD 311 INSTITUTE : HOW TO BUILD EXPONENTIAL ENTERPRISES: TEST STAGE This sheet helps you map the features of your concept to see how they will be percieved by your customers. It helps you be more critical about which assumptions really differentiate from others and which convince your customers into buying your products. Exponentially betterUnexpected awesomeness I don’t careExpected essentials -INDISPENSABILITY LEVEL+ - PLEASURE LEVEL + Click or scan to download this resource and other innovation resources. TEAM NAME AND NOTES:TEST CARD 311 INSTITUTE : HOW TO BUILD EXPONENTIAL ENTERPRISES: TEST STAGE The Experiment Card helps you to set up the experiments that will allow you to validate those assumptions you previously mapped. Instead of running a full prototype define the elements of your concept you’re not completely certain about and set up experiments to validate them individually. Click or scan to download this resource and other innovation resources. TEAM NAME AND NOTES: FOR Describe the target audience of this experiment. TYPE OF EXPERIMENT A/B Testing, explainer video, pre-sell ... DESCRIPTION What needs to be tested and how will you do it? TO DO Sum up the practicalities needed to run the experiment and structure them on the timeline below. SUCCESS Describe when the result of the experiment is successful. 1 35 24 6 5 1234FEEDBACK GRID 311 INSTITUTE : HOW TO BUILD EXPONENTIAL ENTERPRISES: TEST STAGE The Feedback Grid helps you organise the information you gathered from users testing out your ideas and concepts. You should record your findings and the results honestly, and there is no point covering up negative feedback. Use the information gleaned to develop your understanding of the problem. Click or scan to download this resource and other innovation resources. TEAM NAME AND NOTES: What confused them? Why? What new ideas did they add? Why? What didn’t work? Why? What worked? Why?DISRUPTIVENESS TEST 311 INSTITUTE : HOW TO BUILD EXPONENTIAL ENTERPRISES: TEST STAGE Use this tool to objectively evaluate if your new concept has the potential to re-shape your existing industry in entirely new ways. Click or scan to download this resource and other innovation resources. TEAM NAME AND NOTES: POTENTIAL FOR LOW END DISRUPTION 1. Are there potential customers at the low end of the market who would be happy to purchase your new concept with lesser performance at a lower price? 2. Can we potentially create a business model that enables us to earn attractive profits at discounted prices in order to win the business of these lower end customers? NEW MARKET DISRUPTION POTENTIAL 1. Is there a large population of people who historically have not had the money, equipment or skill to do this new thing by themselves? 2. Would they pay someone with more expertise to do it for them? 3. To use the new concept do customers need to go to an inconvenient central location? RESULTS If you answered yes to all of these questions then congratulations your new concept has the potential to disrupt your industry. If you answered no to any of these questions then try re-visiting your idea to create a more disruptive or radical version of it. IMPACT ON EXISTING INCUMBENTS 1. Is the new concept disruptive to ALL of the incumbent firms within this particular industry? 1 2 3 4Next >