Why you should use build and learn cards to test your products

If you are on a quest to deliver something new that your customers will love, you can continuously improve what you offer with build and learn cards. These cards facilitate a cycle that resembles the scientific method for product improvement: you create a hypothesis, experiment with that hypothesis, and learn from the results. These cards can also be a way to test your most critical assumptions.

If used to its fullest potential, the build and learn process can enable you to maximize the use of your resources, minimize the potential risks of trying something new, and help you determine the next steps you need to take.

How to use the build and learn cards template in Lucidspark

Lucidspark offers a simple and intuitive template that you can easily share with other team members and any relevant stakeholders. To use this template, simply add it to your Lucidspark whiteboard. Then start by using sticky notes to create a “build” card for each experiment you plan to test. Progress through steps 1–4 in order.

1. Answer the question “What do we believe?” with a simple statement of your hypothesis. For instance, your hypothesis might be: “We believe that customers will buy our new service.”
2. Determine how you can verify your hypothesis. What will you measure to determine if your hypothesis is correct? If you hypothesize that customers will buy a new service, you might verify this assumption by keeping track of how many customers agree to add it to their order form.
3. Come up with a way to generate data. How will you create scenarios in which you can test your hypothesis? One way might be to pitch the service during a sales call.
4. Pinpoint how you will decide if your hypothesis is correct. At what point can you say you’ve proved your hypothesis? You might decide to call your experiment a success if 10% or more of those you pitch the service to agree to add the service to their order form.

Use the build card to create your experiment, and then return to the template after the experiment to summarize your findings with the “learn” card. Again, go through steps 1–4 in order and determine:

1. What did we believe? Restate your original hypothesis.
2. What happened during our experiment? Summarize your observations.
3. What’s the point? Determine the most valuable things you learned from the experiment.
4. What next? Decide what your next steps should be and whether your experiment was successful or not. You can create Lucidspark Cards here to keep track of any action items.

You may find that you need to adjust your hypothesis, your experiment, or your product or service to get the results you are looking for. You may benefit from going through the build and learn cycle multiple times. Each time, the build and learn cards will help you keep track of your progress and continue to improve your product or service.