Template

Wizard of Oz Experiment (play)

Learning Loop Free Intermediate

A structured how-to you can follow, covering when to run a Wizard of Oz test, the steps, the tools, and the pros and cons. Treat it as a checklist so your experiment produces a clear answer instead of a vague feeling. Useful the moment you move from reading about the idea to actually setting one up.

  • Decide the exact behaviour you want to observe first.
  • Keep the manual back end invisible to the user.
  • Set a stop rule so the test does not run forever.
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The question it answers

  1. What is a concierge or Wizard of Oz MVP and when should I use one?

Read with it

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  3. Video · ~13 min How to Plan an MVP Michael Seibel (YC)
  4. The origin text for the modern MVP and validated-learning vocabulary every founder now uses. Read it for the mental model that... theleanstartup.com Book · ~330 pages The Lean Startup Eric Ries
  5. Video · ~25 min How to Talk to Users Eric Migicovsky
  6. This is the cleanest short explanation of the two manual-first MVPs and, more importantly, how they differ, which is where most... Mind the Product Article · ~8 min read Wizard of Oz vs Concierge Testing: Behind the Curtain or Behind the Desk? Amanda White
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