Assumption Risk Mapping
Assumption Risk Mapping is a strategic exercise aimed at identifying, categorising, and prioritising potential risks in product development. These risks are associated with the solution's desirability, usability, feasibility, and viability, as well as any third-party dependencies that might impact the project.
Goal
The primary goal is to systematically uncover and assess assumptions that could jeopardise the success of a solution, ensuring that risks are identified and validated before investing too much into a solution.
Context
There are many reasons why a product can fail. Using a framework for identifying the main causes of failure helps us to identify more risks so we can proactively validate our solution.
Risk Categories
| Risk Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Desirability | Do customers really want this and will they pay for it? |
| Usability | Will customers be able to understand what this offers and how to use it? |
| Feasibility | Can we build this and maintain it? |
| Viability | Can we make enough money/value from this to make it worthwhile? |
| Third-Party Risk | If we rely on third parties will they behave as we expect them to? |
Inputs
| Artifact | Description |
|---|---|
| Unvalidated Solutions | A list of potential solutions generated during the ideation session which can be further explored and validated. |
Outputs
| Artifact | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Assumptions | A list of the key assumptions categorised by type (desirability, usability, etc.). |
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Anti-patterns
- Gaps in Assumption Identification: Failing to identify and articulate all of the underlying assumptions that drive the proposed solutions.
- Siloed Risk Management: When only a subset of the team is involved in risk assessment, valuable insights from other team members may be missed.
- Neglecting Third-Party Risks: Failing to account for the reliability and stability of external partners can result in unforeseen obstacles.