Assumption
An assumption is a belief a solution depends on to work. If a key assumption turns out to be false, the solution fails — so the riskiest assumptions (high importance, low evidence) are the ones to test first, before you build. Assumptions are the bottom layer of an Opportunity Solution Tree.
Related terms
Assumption mapping
Plotting each assumption by importance and evidence to find which to test first — the high-importance, low-evidence ones.
Continuous discovery
The habit of weekly customer contact feeding product decisions, rather than a one-off research phase before a project.
Customer interview
A story-based conversation that uncovers real needs — you ask about specific past moments, not hypotheticals or opinions.
North star metric
The single metric that best captures the value customers get from your product, used to align the whole team.
Opportunity
A customer need, pain, or desire — phrased as a problem (“I can’t tell which teams are active”), never as a solution.
Opportunity Solution Tree
A visual map connecting a measurable outcome to the opportunities, solutions, and assumptions you bet on to reach it.