The Learning Loop
Phase 4: Validate
Test the hypothesis against reality.
What: Test the hypothesis against reality.
Thinking mode: Critical thinking. Being honest about what the evidence actually says. On a team, everyone should look at the results, not just the person who framed the hypothesis. Engineers often catch things PMs miss (and vice versa) because they bring different lenses. Solo builders: this is the discipline that separates you from someone who's just shipping and hoping. Show it to real users. Look at the data. Be willing to be wrong.
Methods:
- Internal validation: Does the code work? Do the tests pass? Did it drift from the spec?
- Customer validation: Do users actually care? Does the behavior solve the problem?
- Learning validation: What surprised us? What changed our minds?
Output: Evidence (quantitative or qualitative) that answers: "Is our hypothesis true or false?"