Validate the Right Idea—Before You Overinvest
Stop wasting resources on features customers don't want. Validation Sprints help product teams de-risk decisions in weeks, align roadmaps with real outcomes, and build what actually moves the business forward.
7.7x ROI
⚡ from accelerated time-to-value
Real Results: +$280K Saved in Two Weeks
How one global retailer avoided months of wasted effort
Team Size
6-Person X-Functional Dev Team
Engagement
2-Week Experiment Sprint
Customer
In-Store Associates
Industry
Lifestyle Retailer
The Challenge
A product development team built a proof of concept (POC) workflow for a mobile point of sale (POS) device for its In-Store Associates. The team was confident the changes would have their customers using handheld devices more often. They were ready to invest +4 months of development to build the full solution.
❌ No direct customer feedback validated the problem or solution fit
❌ Team believed they "didn't have permission" to "bother” In-Store Associates
❌ POC was built before conducting any discovery with actual end-users
The Hypothesis
By changing the main workflow on a secure, connected mobile POS, In-Store Associates would spend 50% less time handling cash and 20% more time helping customers — leading to safer stores, smoother operations, and happier customers.
The Discovery
When the team put their POC in the hands of actual In-Store Associates in real-world situations, they discovered a hard truth:
The solution they were so confident in was not valid.
❌ The workflow did NOT fit into In-Store Associates' actual routine
❌ The workflow did NOT solve the problem—it kept them tethered to traditional POS stations
“That blew my mind! We just saved months and months of building something that nobody was going to use.”
+$280K
Development costs saved
2 weeks
To discover and pivot
4 months
Engineering time preserved
7.7x
ROI on discovery investment
Sound familiar?
Talented Teams, Slow, Low Impact
Your experienced, skilled teams work hard but struggle to show business results that earn recognition from leadership.
You're investing time and money in the wrong things because critical assumptions go untested until it's too late.
New Approach:
Time-boxed discovery in 1-7 weeks—not months or years. A course correction that accelerates time-to-value-to-money.
Framework Fatigue
You've tried Design Thinking workshops, read Lean books, sponsored Agile transformation, and hired innovation consultants.
Great in theory, but hard to apply and scale. And when change agents claim victory or consultants leave, the capability goes with them.
New Approach:
Build immediate capability, with a pilot team, that scales only after you validate it works. A test-and-learn approach that delivers value in week one. You decide when to scale.
A Different Approach
1-7 weeks
Not months or years. Quick course-correction that fits your schedule.
Framework Agnostic
Works with Scrum, Kanban, XP, or whatever you're already using.
Build
Capability
We practitioner-coach, your pilot team learns. Skills stick after we're gone.
| Aspect | Other Approaches | Validation Sprints |
|---|---|---|
| Time Commitment | Months-long commitment | 1-7 weeks, you choose |
| Change Required | Total transformation required | Works with your existing process |
| Approach | Theory and frameworks | Hands-on coaching on YOUR challenge |
| Who Does the Work | Consultants do the work | We coach, you build capability |
| Methodology | One-size-fits-all methodology | Framework-agnostic (Scrum, Kanban, etc.) |
| Focus | Research & ideation focus | Validation & decision focus |
Your Dashboard
We’ve built Validation Sprints to make it easy for you to deploy it within your organization as an experiment itself, to validate the positive effect on team performance and impact — while giving teams the ability to help shape their discovery process.
| DELIVERABLE | METRIC |
|---|---|
| Statement of quantifiable Business Problem defining the scope of work of the team (if not already defined) | Sign-off by Team and Sponsor. |
| Prioritized list of critical assumptions (to deliver business outcomes), broken down to testable level. | At least three (3) assumptions that are: • classified as critical (high importance/low certainty) • within the scope of responsibility of the team • testable in the immediate or near term |
| Short list of well-defined experiments to validate the most critical assumptions quickly | At least one (1) experiment validating a critical assumption that the team is confident can be completed within a single sprint. |
| First validations scheduled to be completed at the end of the next sprint. | At least one (1) completed experiment to validate a critical assumption. |
| Team reflection and decision (within existing ways of working). | • Documented experiment learnings, including Kill, Pivot or Persevere decision and rationale. • Revised Assumption prioritization. |
| Leadership review and alignment (within existing ways of working). | Leadership sign-off/funding discussion. |
| Facilitators' notes and recommendations for continuous improvement. | At least one (1) actionable suggestion for improvement. |
Is This Right for Your Team?
This program isn’t for everyone. Here’s how to know if it’s a fit:
Great Fit
Your teams are cross-functional (PM, Designer, Engineer)
✔
You have domain expertise and agile experience
✔
Leadership supports testing assumptions first
✔
Team can focus on one challenge for 1-6 weeks
✔
You're open to killing ideas based on evidence
✔
You want to build internal capability
✔
Bad Fit
Your team is brand new or junior
❌
You want someone to do the work for you
❌
Your org has zero slack time (100% firefighting)
❌
Leadership isn't aligned on the problem
❌
You just want a report/recommendation
❌
You're not willing to kill ideas you love (if they don’t validate)
❌
Pick Your Plan to Improve ROI
Sprint Zero
Quick wins, lasting impact
$7,500
Stakeholder interviews (3hr)
Experiment Sprint workshop (3hr)
Synthesis & async updates (1.5hr)
Your whiteboard
Prioritized assumption list
Experiment roadmap
Stand-alone value—or continue to full program
Popular
Sprint Zero + One
2-3 week Catalyst
$13,500
Everything in Sprint Zero, plus:
First implementation sprint
Up to 6hr facilitation per sprint
Live + async partnership
Complete 1st experiment
Start to build team capability
Full Program
Sprints 0-6 (7 weeks total)
$43,500
Everything in Sprint Zero, plus:
6 weekly implementation sprints
Up to 6hr facilitation per sprint
Live + async partnership
Complete 1st experiment in Sprint 1
Build team capability
Embed learning culture
Leadership reviews & alignment
🛡️ 100% Money-Back Guarantee: If Sprint 0 doesn't deliver value, full refund. No Risk.
Ready to Stop Building the Wrong Things?
Start validating assumptions before you invest months of effort.
Your team deserves to build products customers actually want.
Product Evangelist Co. | Empowering teams with heart & science
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