02 — Identify Critical Assumptions
Purpose: Use Swift CNS AI to identify critical assumptions that must be validated
Outcome: Have a prioritized list of critical assumptions documented in Swift CNS
Audience: PM / Dev / Both
Time: 30-60 minutes (guided by AI)
Prerequisites: 01 — Idea / Problem - Chat started in Swift CNS
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Use Swift CNS AI to identify assumptions about your solution
Distinguish between critical and non-critical assumptions
Prioritize assumptions by risk and impact in Swift CNS
Understand how assumptions are categorized in Swift CNS
Prepare assumptions for hypothesis formation in Swift CNS
Jobs-to-Be-Done
When: I have started a chat in Swift CNS and the AI has analyzed my idea
I want: To use Swift CNS to identify what must be true for my solution to work
So that: I can focus on validating the riskiest assumptions first
Inputs
Active chat in Swift CNS from 01 — Idea / Problem
AI analysis of your idea
Understanding of your proposed solution
Activities
1. Continue the Chat Conversation
In Swift CNS:
Return to your chat conversation (if not already there)
The AI will guide you through the Assumptions Mapping step
Follow the AI's prompts and questions
What the AI Will Do:
Ask about your proposed solution
Help you identify what you're assuming
Categorize assumptions (user, technical, business, value)
Identify which assumptions are critical
💡 Tip: Be honest with the AI about your assumptions. It helps identify what needs validation.
2. Identify All Assumptions
The AI Will Guide You Through:
User Assumptions: About users' needs, behaviors, preferences
Example: "Users will use an AI-powered retrospective tool"
Technical Assumptions: About what's possible to build
Example: "We can build AI that generates useful insights"
Business Assumptions: About market, pricing, competition
Example: "Users will pay $10/month for this tool"
Value Assumptions: About the value proposition
Example: "Users will find AI-generated insights valuable"
How to Answer:
Be comprehensive - list everything you're assuming
Don't filter yet - the AI will help prioritize
Be specific - avoid vague assumptions
3. Identify Critical Assumptions
The AI Will Help You Identify:
Critical Assumptions: Those that, if false, would invalidate the solution
High Risk: Uncertainty is high
High Impact: Affects the entire value proposition
Questions the AI May Ask:
"If this assumption is false, does the product fail?"
"How confident are you about this assumption?"
"What evidence do you have for this assumption?"
4. Prioritize Assumptions
The AI Will Help You Prioritize:
High Risk / High Impact → Critical (test first)
High Risk / Low Impact → Test if time allows
Low Risk / High Impact → Monitor
Low Risk / Low Impact → Track but don't prioritize
In Swift CNS:
The AI will help you organize assumptions
You'll see them categorized and prioritized
Focus on the top 5-10 critical assumptions
5. Review Assumptions
After AI Analysis:
Review the assumptions list generated by the AI
Verify they're accurate
Add any assumptions the AI might have missed
Confirm priorities are correct
Your Assumptions Will Be:
Documented in the chat conversation
Categorized by type
Prioritized by risk and impact
Ready for hypothesis formation
Apply It Now
Task: Use Swift CNS to identify your critical assumptions
Continue your chat conversation in Swift CNS
Follow the AI's prompts about assumptions
List all assumptions (user, technical, business, value)
Work with the AI to identify critical assumptions
Review and prioritize assumptions by risk and impact
Document the top 5-10 critical assumptions
Artifact: A prioritized assumptions list in Swift CNS with:
All assumptions listed
Critical assumptions identified
Risk and impact assessment
Priority ranking
Artifacts
You'll create in Swift CNS:
Assumptions list in chat conversation
Critical assumptions identified
Risk and impact assessment
Prioritized assumptions list
Worked Example
Situation: Identifying assumptions for retrospective tool in Swift CNS
Chat Conversation:
AI: "Now let's identify the assumptions you're making about your solution.
What do you assume about users?"
You: "I assume engineering teams will use an AI-powered retrospective tool."
AI: "That's a user assumption. Is this critical? If teams don't use it,
does the product fail?"
You: "Yes, absolutely. If teams don't use it, the product fails."
AI: "Then this is a critical assumption. Let's categorize it as high risk,
high impact. What else are you assuming?"Result in Swift CNS:
Assumption 1: Teams will use an AI-powered retrospective tool
Category: User
Risk: High
Impact: High
Status: Critical ✓
Assumption 2: We can build AI that generates useful insights
Category: Technical
Risk: High
Impact: High
Status: Critical ✓
Assumption 3: Users will pay $10/month
Category: Business
Risk: Medium
Impact: High
Status: Important (not critical)
Checklist
Before proceeding to the next chapter, verify:
Self-Assessment
What does Swift CNS AI help you identify? (Select all)
What makes an assumption critical? (Select all)
How should you prioritize assumptions?
Exit Criteria
You're ready to proceed when:
Dependencies & Next Steps
Prerequisites Completed
01 — Idea / Problem - Chat started in Swift CNS
Next Steps
Continue the chat conversation in Swift CNS
The AI will guide you through 03 — Form Testable Hypotheses
Follow the AI's prompts to convert assumptions to hypotheses
What This Enables
Identifying critical assumptions in Swift CNS enables:
Focused validation efforts
AI-guided hypothesis formation
Efficient experiment design
Systematic risk mitigation
💡 Tip: Trust the AI's guidance. It's designed to help you think systematically about assumptions. 📝 Note: You can always add more assumptions later if you think of them.
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