Book · ~80 pages
Pretotype It
Alberto Savoia · pretotyping.org Free Intermediate
Savoia's pretotyping approach forces you to define, before you show anyone anything, exactly what a real reaction would look like versus a polite one. His XYZ hypothesis format ("at least X% of Y will Z") gives you a measurable line in the sand so you're not relying on your own read of a fuzzy conversation. It's the clearest antidote to a founder convincing themselves a shrug was enthusiasm.
- Decide what counts as a real signal before you run the test, not after.
- Watch for what people do (the Z), not what they say they'd do.
- A cheap pretotype that answers the real question beats a polished one that doesn't.