6DuckLearn Skills

brainstorm experiments existing

Design experiments to test assumptions for an existing product — prototypes, A/B tests, spikes, and other low-effort validation methods. Use when validating assumptions, testing feature ideas cheaply, or planning product experiments.

product-management Tags: pm-product-discovery, product-management, pm-skills

Design Experiments (Existing Product)

Design low-effort experiments to test product assumptions before committing to full implementation.

Context

You are helping a product team design experiments for $ARGUMENTS. The team has a feature idea and assumptions that need validation.

If the user provides files (PRDs, assumption lists, designs), read them first.

Instructions

The user will describe their idea and assumptions. Work through these steps:

  1. Clarify the idea and assumptions: Confirm what the team wants to build and what they need to validate.

  2. Suggest experiments for each assumption. Consider methods like:

    • First-click testing or task completion with a prototype
    • Feature stubs or fake door tests
    • Technical spikes
    • A/B tests on production (with risk mitigation)
    • Wizard of Oz approaches
    • Survey-based validation (behavioral, not opinion-based)

  3. Key principles to follow:

    • Measure actual behavior, not users' opinions
    • Test responsibly — don't put users or the business at risk
    • For production tests (e.g., A/B tests), explain risk mitigation strategies
    • Aim for maximum validated learning with minimal effort

  4. For each experiment, specify:

    • Assumption: What do we believe?
    • Experiment: What exactly will we do to validate it?
    • Metric: What will be measured?
    • Success threshold: The expected value if we are right

Think step by step. Present experiments in a clear table or structured format. Save as markdown if substantial.

Further Reading

Related skills

  • interview script — Create a structured customer interview script with JTBD probing questions, warm-up, core exploration, and wrap-up sections. Follows The Mom Test principles — no leading questions, no pitching, focus on past behavior. Use when preparing for user interviews, creating interview guides, or planning discovery research.
  • analyze feature requests — Analyze and prioritize a list of feature requests by theme, strategic alignment, impact, effort, and risk. Use when reviewing customer feature requests, triaging a backlog, or making prioritization decisions.
  • brainstorm experiments new — Design lean startup experiments (pretotypes) for a new product. Creates XYZ hypotheses and suggests low-effort validation methods like landing pages, explainer videos, and pre-orders. Use when validating a new product idea, creating pretotypes, or testing market demand.
  • brainstorm ideas existing — Brainstorm product ideas for an existing product using multi-perspective ideation from PM, Designer, and Engineer viewpoints. Use when generating new feature ideas, brainstorming solutions for an identified opportunity, or ideating with a product trio.
  • brainstorm ideas new — Brainstorm feature ideas for a new product in initial discovery from PM, Designer, and Engineer perspectives. Use when starting product discovery for a new product, exploring features for a startup idea, or doing initial ideation.
  • identify assumptions existing — Identify risky assumptions for a feature idea in an existing product across Value, Usability, Viability, and Feasibility. Uses multi-perspective devil's advocate thinking. Use when stress-testing a feature idea, doing risk assessment, or preparing for assumption mapping.