Identify Assumptions Existing

by phuryn8607e3b07781No license26K starsListed Oct 8, 2026Updated Oct 8, 2026Repository updated 3 weeks ago

Identify risky assumptions for a feature idea in an existing product across Value, Usability, Viability, and Feasibility. Uses multi-perspective devil's advocate thinking. Use when stress-testing a feature idea, doing risk assessment, or preparing for assumption mapping.

AI-generated overview

Stress-tests a feature idea for an existing product by surfacing risky assumptions across value, usability, viability and feasibility.

What it does
The skill guides a devil's advocate analysis of a feature idea for an existing product, examining it from product manager, designer and engineer perspectives. It identifies assumptions across four risk areas: Value, Usability, Viability and Feasibility. For each assumption it records what could go wrong, a confidence level of High, Medium or Low, and a suggested way to test it. The output is a structured assumption and risk list rather than a file.
When to use it
Use it when stress-testing a feature idea, doing risk assessment, or preparing for assumption mapping. It fits early product discovery work where a team wants to challenge an idea before committing to it.
Requirements
No tools, packages or credentials are required; it is instructions only and ships no scripts. The user supplies a description of the product, objective, market segment and feature idea, and may optionally provide files such as designs, PRDs or research.

Identify Assumptions (Existing Product)

Devil's advocate analysis to surface risky assumptions across four risk areas.

Context

You are stress-testing a feature idea for $ARGUMENTS.

If the user provides files (designs, PRDs, research), read them first.

Instructions

The user will describe their product, objective, market segment, and feature idea. Work through these steps:

  1. Think from three perspectives about why this feature might fail:

    • Product Manager perspective: Business viability, market fit, strategic alignment
    • Designer perspective: Usability, user experience, adoption barriers
    • Engineer perspective: Technical feasibility, performance, integration challenges
  2. Identify assumptions across four risk areas:

    • Value: Will it create value for customers? Does it solve a real problem?
    • Usability: Will users figure out how to use it? Is the learning curve acceptable?
    • Viability: Can marketing, sales, finance, and legal support it?
    • Feasibility: Can it be built with existing technology? Are there integration risks?
  3. For each assumption, note:

    • What specifically could go wrong
    • How confident you are (High/Medium/Low)
    • Suggested way to test it

Think step by step. Be thorough but constructive — the goal is to strengthen the idea, not kill it.


Further Reading

Source and attribution

Source:phuryn/pm-skillsinpm-product-discovery/skills/identify-assumptions-existingat commit8607e3b

License: No license

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