Before Schneider funds a build, OLM asks for evidence that the solution works for real users. This module walks through choosing the cheapest prototype that can answer your riskiest assumption — paper flows, clickable mock-ups, wizard-of-oz services — and designing a validation test with pass/fail criteria you set before you run it. You will practise turning vague hopes ('users will love it') into measurable signals ('6 of 10 pilot users complete the task unaided'). Ends with guidance on when to stop iterating and either pitch for investment or walk away.
📊 For the PMO
The module that defines Gate 2 evidence quality: experiments with pre-registered pass/fail criteria, run on the cheapest prototype able to answer the riskiest assumption. Submissions citing criteria set after the results are the pattern to reject. It also legitimises the walk-away outcome, which keeps your portfolio clear of momentum-funded initiatives. Ask for this: each validation claim paired with the criteria date and the result, side by side.
🎯 For Product Owners
Gate 2 rests on validation results, and this module shows how to buy that evidence cheaply: pick the riskiest assumption, choose the smallest prototype that tests it, and set pass criteria before the test runs so the result is a decision, not a debate. Includes when to stop iterating and pitch — or walk away, which is cheaper than a funded failure. Takeaway for your backlog: attach a pass/fail criterion to your next validation item before any work starts.
🤝 For Scrum Masters
Validation sprints feel different from delivery sprints, and this module explains why: the output is a decision, not an increment. Learn to help the team scope wizard-of-oz and mock-up experiments honestly, and to keep pre-agreed pass criteria from being renegotiated after results arrive — the anti-pattern to watch. Try this with your team: for the next experiment, write the pass criteria on the board before anyone opens a design tool.
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