¿Cuáles son las formas más efectivas de validar nuevas ideas?

I totally agree with @Karime Abib: the biggest assumption is that it addresses a problem. So many ideas are just people wanting to play on the Hype Curve with something 'shiny...because everyone else is doing it'. Even if they do state a problem, have they then done a root cause analysis (e.g. even using the '5 Whys' technique)? The problem is often just a symptom of a root cause elsewhere. *Those* are what needs to be addressed and for which you want ideas. You then need to align, assess and evaluate the ideas, the assumptions and everything against your strategic (weighted) drivers and principles to ensure they do align with the strategic direction.

The first step to validating an idea is to validate that the problem is well-defined. Many solutions fall short because the issue was misinterpreted to begin with. So, the first assumption to be confirmed is the problem itself. The best way to do it is to discuss or revise that with the most impacted people, the ones affected by the problem, issue or topic you are developing an idea for. One great way to go about that is to create scenarios exemplifying how your idea would fit into them and check those scenarios with your stakeholders. Giving people context helps them to provide you with better insights. Another way is validation through data; for that, research and cross-reference are good methods.

The biggest question is: What is problem? I cannot tell you how many times I have heard: The price of the product is too high! The presentation is not good! The economy is not good! The problem was that no-one could see, the advert or it was right at the counter where you get the discount even though you came for the full price, or even some people thought that if the price is so low then there must be a problem with quality. For me the biggest problem is to find out what is the problem of the customer. Then it is easy to find methods for addressing it.

Another tool that you can use to validate your idea is the "Five Whys" technique. This technique involves repeatedly asking "why" to dig deeper into the root cause of a problem or assumption. By asking "why" multiple times, you can uncover underlying issues and gain a better understanding of the problem you are trying to solve. This can help you identify and prioritize the assumptions that need to be validated.

I think some companies define problems to be solved because there is a KPI to have people trained in problem solving tools. Then crazy problems are defined to have good results of KPI. Problem must be pain in somebody's ass. Then this person will do the best to define problem. If I want to come with idea then I need to translate problem to money. Build positive business case to make proposal for Managers. There are a lot of great ideas where building business case makes things more complicated.

0) define the issue you want to address 1) create many ideas - most of them will fail 2) don't get attached to your ideas 3) combine existing ideas into new ideas 4) filter out ideas, that don't have the potential to solve the issue 5) do cheap experiments to validate as many ideas as possible. 6) discard any ideas that fail your experiments 7) improve your existing ideas based on your results 8) rinse and repeat :-)

Innovation thrives on validation. 5 Effective Ways to Validate New Ideas- Customer Feedback Loops:Engage with your target audience early on by soliciting feedback through surveys, focus groups, or prototype testing. Minimum Viable Product (MVP):Develop a scaled-down version of your concept to test its viability in the real market. Competitor Analysis:Study similar products or services in the market to identify gaps and opportunities. Pilot Programs and Beta Testing:Launch a pilot program or invite a select group of users to test your product or service in a controlled environment. Data Analytics and Metrics:Leverage data analytics to track key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your idea.

Assumptions must be mapped and linked to the problems that are targeted for solving. Ruling out obvious assumptions is equally important as listing assumptions.

I have found a brainstorming session particularly effective to validate assumptions captured. Having an open and transparent medium where all views are shared can be compelling

Don’t pigeonhole your validation method. It may validate your thoughts or your idea but will it give you a true reflection and reach everyone it should benefit?

It is all about being open and receptive to the ever changing happenings around. New ideas are therefore better validated by the willingness to consider other alternatives to the existing norms.

The benefit of using tools like the Validation Board or the Experiment Canvas is that they provide a structured framework for designing and running your validation tests. They help you organize your assumptions, hypotheses, and experiments in a visual and systematic way. By using these tools, you can effectively track and measure the results of your validation tests, analyze the data, and make informed decisions about your idea. This can save you time and effort by providing a clear roadmap for validating your assumptions and iterating on your idea.

Ensuring thorough validation in the early stages of innovation is crucial. To secure meaningful validation, it's imperative that any product or service developed precisely addresses end-user needs, identified pain points, and competitive white spaces. Emphasizing sustainability requires even greater precision to avoid investing time in products or services destined to fail without a solid product-market fit. The mantra here: Fail early, fail fast, change course, and move forward.

PRETOTYPE AND TEST LIKE TESLA As innovation facilitator of 100+ projects, I like to share how Tesla interested buyers for their first car. In 2003, the founders of Tesla had an ambitious idea (an all-electric 2-door sports car). In order to convince potential buyers to order its car, Tesla created a pretotype of what the car would look like. Lotus supplied Tesla with a ‘glider’ Elise - which was filled with models of key components. This was not a prototype, because the vehicle didn’t function. Tesla was able to show buyers a close proxy for the final design. Tesla asked “Will you put down a $5,000 deposit to have it built to order? From this test Tesla secured several hundred deposits, a non-trivial result to reassure their Investors

The best validation methods depend on some criteria: - Complexity of the problem - Number of stakeholders - Access to stakeholders - How science-based is your problem and idea - Geography and culture - Type of idea: for instance, a product may use a mock-up, a system may use a pilot run, a code may use a beta version, a social solution may use a trial in a community, a conceptual idea may use a survey, etc. There may be other criteria, so start with your customised list.

Validation must be done considering multiple methods not only one. This will provide better insights with respect to the problem itself.

Field Validation: Depending on the nature of your idea, consider conducting field tests to validate its practicality. This could involve a pilot implementation or a prototype. Gather real-world data to assess how well your solution performs in a live environment. Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience, competitors, and overall market dynamics. Identify potential customer segments and their needs. This will help validate whether there is a market demand for your solution.

Don’t spill the beans. In other words, spend no less than 80% defining the problem FIRST , and THEN no more than 20% on the idea. It’s all about the problem. Listen. Ask more. Listen. Don’t start off asking validators if they think your baby is cute. Rather ask them what makes a cute baby!

While collecting data, we need to be ultra careful with the source and originating point of data since it can provide very different insights at later stages if data is corrupted slightly. Again, while analysing it should not be about the model building or tech used but majorly what statistics you have chosen to analyze it and why.

Iterative Refinement: Based on the feedback from experts, field validation, and market research, be prepared to refine your idea iteratively. This may involve adjusting your solution, business model, or target audience based on the insights gained during the validation process. Pilot Testing: If feasible, consider a small-scale pilot test to validate your idea in a controlled environment. Monitor key metrics and gather user feedback to further refine and improve your solution.

Collecting and analyzing data from your target audience, market, or stakeholders helps you gain valuable insights and evidence to support or challenge your assumptions. By using tools like the Validation Report or the Learning Card, you can effectively document and communicate your findings, making it easier to share your learnings with others in a concise and structured manner. This helps you make informed decisions about your idea quickly, as you can clearly see whether your assumptions are validated or need further iteration. It also enables you to identify any gaps or areas for improvement, allowing you to refine your idea and increase its chances of success in a shorter timeframe.

One thing I found helpful is to give much attention to stakeholders, while observing and being cognitive! Place the results before them, and give ample time for them to share their views and also brainstorm incase of new insights! This helps in triangulation and getting valid and complete information

Need to also compare data with market competitors. This would highlight how does your idea stand out against the competition. This would help in further validating your idea and presenting a better value proposition to the customer.

I found out from experience with proper validation you ensure sound documentation. Data visualization is important while analyzing the data.

Collecting and analyzing data is a fundamental aspect of decision-making and problem-solving in various domains. It involves systematically gathering information relevant to a specific objective and then extracting meaningful insights. In business and research, data collection may involve surveys, experiments, or observations, while analysis often employs statistical methods or data visualization techniques. The process enables informed decision-making, identification of trends, and validation of hypotheses.

To prioritize findings based on impact and feasibility, evaluate their potential and consider the resources and time required for each option: pivot, persevere, or kill the idea. Choose the option with the most value and least effort or resources needed, using tools like the Pivot, Persevere, or Kill Canvas or the Build-Measure-Learn Loop. Stay flexible, open to adjusting based on data and feedback, and iterate rapidly and efficiently to increase the chances of finding a product-market fit or a viable business model.

A start, stop, continue retrospective can also be done to review if there are things you should start doing, things that should stop being done and things going well that should continue.

It is a good idea to test more than one model and not choose the model with a favouring outcome. However, could you try to find the reason behind the product and validate it based on facts/numbers without building any biases during the model building?

Learning and iterating involve seeking feedback from users, stakeholders, or target audiences. This feedback provides valuable insights into what works well and what needs improvement.

The concept of "learn and iterate" underscores the importance of continuous improvement and adaptability. It involves the cyclical process of learning from experiences, feedback, and outcomes, and using that knowledge to make iterative enhancements. In various fields, from product development to problem-solving, embracing a culture of learning and iteration fosters innovation and resilience. This approach encourages experimentation, allowing individuals and teams to refine their strategies based on real-world insights. By acknowledging that initial attempts may not be perfect, "learn and iterate" promotes a mindset that values progress over perfection.

Do you know that 85% of new products fail due to lack of demand (I read it Forbes). And while the only way not to fail is to stop innovating (I hope you understand, it is not an option), the main reason why an innovation fails, is because no one needs it. Why are so many companies still investing in projects that a doomed to fail? That’s human psychology. We want to believe that it will work! We get into the tunnel, we double down if the idea is not successful, we become endurant and resilient. We won’t listen if someone tells us to go and validate! What should you do? Give it to a different team, the one not emotionally invested into the idea and let it apply all the wonderful tips stated in this article.

To validate your idea without specific tools, follow a simplified process. Begin by defining your target audience and conducting customer interviews to understand their needs. Create a prototype showcasing the core features and gather feedback from your audience. Use this feedback to iterate and refine your idea until it becomes more feasible and desirable. Finally, seek validation from stakeholders by presenting the refined idea, sharing feedback received, and providing evidence of its potential success. Remember, while tools can be helpful, the key is understanding your audience, gathering feedback, iterating, and seeking validation from stakeholders.

Validating ideas with stakeholders is a crucial step in the development process, ensuring alignment with key influencers and decision-makers. Stakeholders, including customers, investors, and internal teams, bring diverse perspectives that contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the idea's potential success. Engaging with stakeholders early and consistently allows for the incorporation of valuable feedback, which can shape and refine the concept. This collaborative validation process fosters a sense of ownership and support, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation. Moreover, it helps identify potential challenges and concerns, enabling proactive problem-solving.

Iteration is key - only through testing with your customers or people can you be sure you have the outcome you set out to achieve.

At a point of time a decision needs to be made to move forward with the final idea. Tools to help plan and deliver are important to pivot the ideas and solution.

Allocate 1% of your work hours to listen to ideas, deliberate on them...so much time and effort is invested in Ideathons, innovation exercises....while we seldom listen to the ideas that are being proposed at our daily work. Many great ideas are generated spontaneously, and should be heard spontaneously too....before they die down and not able to make it to an innovation challenge!

Adding to the importance of continuous end-user-validation, I find often start-ups - and more mature companies also- miss important aspects of validation. End user asked: Do you like this solution? Yes. Would you use it? Yes. How much do you value the solution/how much would you be willing to pay..? (…) Surprisingly often this is not a critical part of validation. Validation must include perceived value early in the innovation process to secure financial viability.

Learn from your failures; failure is a step toward success. Your first idea may not work, yet it may open the door for the one that will.

Another factor to evaluate new ideas is to reflect and perform historical analysis - if the proposed idea was tried earlier in the past (in a similar situation), and to incorporate any lessons that can be learnt from that experience.

Adaptability: Always be open and ready to refine your idea based on feedback and changing market conditions to increase its chances of success.

Simulation and Metrics- Simulation before full scaling and identification of appropriate metrics to measure performance before investing time and resources should be prioritized. Examples Car manufacturers have batch recalls valued at millions of dollars, this could be avoided if simulations tests are robust and performance metrics for the cars are weighed/measured accurately efficiently regularly before release. The same goes for recent spaceX starship launch that failed but after some re-engineering it went further than ever successfully.

Don´t believe your validated assumptions are correct. Mistrust yourself. Challenge your assumptions. BUT: Please look for risky projects with - if successful - offer great reward. The last decades have been wasted with incremental improvements and visionairs had low tide. Other visionairs failed in validating ideas or challenging themselves. As always - the balance will make the difference