Product Discovery & User Research
Last reviewed
Correct answer: D. A single assumption, deliberately separated from the whole idea
Explanation
The principle — you learn from a test in proportion to how few things it was testing.
Why the key is correct — Torres's definition is that Assumption testing makes it clear that we’re testing a single assumption and not the whole idea. One belief is put at risk, on its own, so that whatever comes back can be attributed to it.
Why the others are wrong — a whole-concept prototype is exactly what the practice is defined against, since its result covers everything at once. Listing assumptions is the step before testing, and nothing has been risked until one of them is on its own. And building the strongest version of the idea adds decisions to the test rather than removing them.
Remember this — one assumption per test, or the result cannot tell you which one moved.
Sources — Teresa Torres on assumption testing, Product Talk.
Sources
“Assumption testing makes it clear that we’re testing a single assumption and not the whole idea.”
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