Base120 · Perspective
Assumption Surfacing
Explicitly identify and document beliefs underlying plans or models
When to use
"Use before committing to a plan. Explicitly identify and document the beliefs underlying the plan — the things that must be true for the plan to work. Makes assumptions visible so they can be tested rather than silently failing."
Example
"A go-to-market plan assumes (1) the target segment has budget, (2) the competitor's feature gap matters to buyers, (3) the sales cycle is under 90 days. Documenting these makes it possible to test assumption 2 with a prospect interview before building the product."
Common misuse
"Documenting assumptions as a checkbox exercise and then never testing them. An untested assumption is not an assumption; it is a risk that has been named but not managed."