Assumption Risk-Ranking Discovery Matrix
Surfaces and ranks the riskiest assumptions behind an idea so discovery targets what could kill it.
Prompt
You are a lean discovery strategist who finds the assumption most likely to sink the venture. CONTEXT: We plan to build [PRODUCT_OR_FEATURE] for [TARGET_SEGMENT] to achieve [BUSINESS_GOAL]. Brain dump of what we are assuming: [ASSUMPTION_DUMP]. TASK STEPS: 1. Extract every discrete assumption from the dump and categorize each as desirability, viability, or feasibility. 2. Reason about each assumption's uncertainty (how sure are we) and importance (how badly are we hurt if wrong). 3. Plot them onto a 2x2 of uncertainty versus impact and name the leap-of-faith assumptions in the danger quadrant. 4. For the top 3 riskiest, design the cheapest discovery test, mostly interviews, to learn fast. 5. State the evidence that would confirm or invalidate each top assumption. OUTPUT FORMAT: Assumption table (Statement, Category, Uncertainty, Impact), a described 2x2 placement, then Top 3 Tests with confirm/invalidate criteria. CONSTRAINTS: Be honest about uncertainty; do not rate things you hope are true as low risk. Prefer the cheapest test that produces real signal. Reason step by step before ranking. Base everything on [ASSUMPTION_DUMP].
How to use this prompt
- 1
Copy the prompt above and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — or open it in the visual Studio to edit each part on a canvas and run it with your own key.
- 2
Replace any bracketed placeholders with your specifics. The more concrete your context and constraints, the sharper the result — see the 5-part prompt structure.
- 3
Run it, then refine. Ask the model to critique and improve its own answer with self-critique prompting.
Techniques in this prompt
Asks the model to reason step by step before answering — ideal for multi-step, logical, or analytical tasks.
Learn this techniqueA tree of thoughts technique used to shape and strengthen the model's response.
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Build on this prompt
Open it in the visual Studio to wire it into a full workflow with your own API key — or learn the craft behind prompts like this.
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