3 generic steps to test any idea

Without ideas there is no innovation.

That doesn't mean that every idea is a good one, or worth pursuing.

That's why it's important to test them early, and test them often.

Here are three generic steps that you can follow to test any idea:

1. Identify weaknesses and risky assumptions in your idea. Be gentle with people, but go hard on the idea itself.
2. Turn previously identified assumptions in testable hypotheses and run experiments to generate trustworthy insight.
3. Use that insight to refine and improve your idea. Pivot if needed.

Keep cycling though the above steps until you retire.

P.S. I also wrote a detailed guide on how to design, conduct, and learn from lean experiments. You can access it here.