When to use this plan
Fill this plan in before every test — before the first message is sent. Its most important section is the decision rule: the results that would make you continue, change, stop or call the test inconclusive. Writing that rule first is what turns a test into a decision instead of a feeling. The method behind it is in business idea validation.
How to fill it in
Hypothesis. Write one sentence that could be false, for example "Small UK shops with 300+ products will request a paid audit after seeing a sample." Name the segment and the version of the offer you're testing.
Method. Choose the test: a conversation, a request for a quote or an offer page. Name the channel (one you're allowed to use), the number of relevant people you'll reach, the start and end date, and your maximum cash and hours.
Decision rule. Fill all four lines with numbers. Continue if… Change if… Stop if… Inconclusive if… — for example "fewer than 8 relevant contacts reached".
Competitor and alternative check. Note what buyers use today, who else offers something similar (with a source and date) and why a buyer might switch — marked as a hypothesis.
A filled-in example
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| We believe | Small UK shops with 300+ products will request a paid audit after seeing a sample |
| Method | Personal message + sample, then a call |
| Channel | Contact forms and business emails on their sites |
| Target | 10 relevant shops |
| Period | 10 days |
| Budget cap | €0 cash, 8 hours |
| Continue if | ≥ 2 quote requests |
| Change if | ≥ 3 replies and 0 quote requests |
| Stop if | 0 relevant replies from 10 reached, with a working channel |
| Inconclusive if | Fewer than 8 relevant contacts reached |
Rules for using it
- Don't change the rule during the test. Finish, record, and write a better rule for the next one.
- Count people, not messages.
- Keep the plan with the evidence so the decision can be checked later.