The one question that kills most ideas (and what to ask instead)
"Is this a good idea?"
This is the question that kills most innovation before it starts.
It's the wrong question. Here's why:
"Good" is subjective. It invites opinion. It triggers debate. And debate is where momentum goes to die.
The better question: "What would have to be true for this to work?"
This shifts the conversation from judgment to discovery. Instead of defending an idea, you're mapping its conditions.
Try it in your next meeting. Watch what happens.
The Assumption Stack
Before you build anything, list your assumptions in order of risk. Validate Level 1 before touching Level 2. Most failed products skip straight to Level 3.
- Level 1: Market assumptions — "People have this problem"
- Level 2: Solution assumptions — "This approach solves it"
- Level 3: Business assumptions — "They'll pay for it"
The $40K Mistake We Didn't Make
The problem: Last quarter, we almost built a feature nobody asked for. The assumption: "Users want AI-generated reports."
What worked: We ran 5 customer calls before writing a single line of code. The reality: They wanted fewer reports, not more.
Result: Cost: $0 and 3 hours. Savings: ~$40K in dev time.
The Pre-Mortem Prompt
This surfaces blind spots you didn't know you had. Use it before starting any significant project.
That's Issue #1. The Assumption Stack alone has saved us countless hours of wasted work. Try it on your next idea.
See you next month,
Eddie