Ask a big question and create a plan to get answers.

Simplify first. Where is the leverage?

Identify a big problem. Something that fundamentally impacts the viability, scale, opportunity or direction of the business. Ideally the biggest outstanding question we can ask.

Chart out everything we know about the problem. Talk to experts. Isolate each step until we feel confident that we truly understand it. And then focus on a single facet of the problem.

Brainstorm solutions.

Now that we understand the problem and we’ve isolated the part of the opportunity we want to focus on, it’s time to start coming up with hypothetical solutions. What’s the plan? What’s the path? Exhaust the possibilities. Creativity is key here. The more we ideate, the better our ultimate plan will be.

Pick a path.

Distill our potential solutions and align on which we want to test. Then we make a plan for how we want to test it. This can be metrics and measurables. It can be communications and collateral. It can be a storyboard for a new prototype.

Prepare for launch.

We start building. A metric. A process. A prototype. That means chopping up the work and moving quickly to get it ready to test. By no means is this a final version. We are putting a stake in the ground. This is just the facade we want to test. It gives us something from which to respond. A starting point. Now we’re on our way.