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Assumption Based Development vs Customer Validation

Developers should use Assumption Based Development when working on projects with high uncertainty, such as new product development, innovative features, or complex systems where requirements are unclear meets developers should learn and use customer validation when building new products, features, or startups to avoid wasting time and resources on solutions that lack market demand. Here's our take.

🧊Nice Pick

Assumption Based Development

Developers should use Assumption Based Development when working on projects with high uncertainty, such as new product development, innovative features, or complex systems where requirements are unclear

Assumption Based Development

Nice Pick

Developers should use Assumption Based Development when working on projects with high uncertainty, such as new product development, innovative features, or complex systems where requirements are unclear

Pros

  • +It's particularly valuable in agile and lean environments to prevent wasted effort on invalid assumptions, enabling faster pivots and more reliable delivery
  • +Related to: agile-methodology, lean-software-development

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Customer Validation

Developers should learn and use customer validation when building new products, features, or startups to avoid wasting time and resources on solutions that lack market demand

Pros

  • +It is critical in agile and lean development environments, such as during the discovery phase of a project or when pivoting a product strategy
  • +Related to: lean-startup, user-research

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Assumption Based Development if: You want it's particularly valuable in agile and lean environments to prevent wasted effort on invalid assumptions, enabling faster pivots and more reliable delivery and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Customer Validation if: You prioritize it is critical in agile and lean development environments, such as during the discovery phase of a project or when pivoting a product strategy over what Assumption Based Development offers.

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The Bottom Line
Assumption Based Development wins

Developers should use Assumption Based Development when working on projects with high uncertainty, such as new product development, innovative features, or complex systems where requirements are unclear

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