Purpose
The method helps clarify customer problem, solution idea, and evidence concretely. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as interest metrics, a conversion signal, and a learning note.
Product Discovery
Smoke Test
Turns customer problem, solution idea, and evidence into a tangible result by defining the hypothesis and signal, building the minimal test, and deriving the decision.
Does the minimally visible offer produce a clear interest signal above the predefined threshold?
LowAsync1-5 Tage
How it works
The team follows the steps: define the hypothesis and signal, build the minimal test, choose the traffic or target group, measure behavior, and derive the decision. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, interest metrics, a conversion signal, and a learning note are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Define the hypothesis and signal
- 2Build the minimal test
- 3Choose the traffic or target group
- 4Measure behavior
- 5Derive the decision
The runsheet guides execution with 4 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Demand Validation
- Messaging Tests
- Early Product Bets
Not good for
- Deep usability questions
- Sensitive promises without transparency
Deep dive
In detail
Smoke Test follows a clear working logic: define the hypothesis and signal, build the minimal test, choose the traffic or target group, measure behavior, and derive the decision. This turns the method into a visible thinking process rather than only a conversation. Participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options toward a shared structure. The result is interest metrics, a conversion signal, and a learning note that make decisions, learning, or further planning actionable.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear guiding question, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan about 1-5 days with user traffic and use the format asynchronously. The method stays lightweight; short timeboxes, visible intermediate results, and a parking lot for open questions help.
Output artifacts
Interest MetricsConversion SignalLearning Note
Artifact templates
Experiment PlanShort plan for hypothesis, test design, success criteria, and decision.markdown
Experiment PlanShort plan for hypothesis, test design, success criteria, and decision.
markdownexperiment-plan-markdown.md
Short plan for hypothesis, test design, success criteria, and decision.
Experiment Plan
Hypothesis
We believe that ...
Target audience
Who are we testing for?
Test design
What exactly will participants or users do?
Success criterion
We count the test as positive if ...
Risks and limits
What can the test not prove?
Decision afterward
If positive: ... If negative: ...
Owner and date
...
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Landing Page Test
Statt Smoke Test, wenn du mit Landing Page Test Interesse an einem Angebot über eine konkrete Angebotsseite messen willst.
Similar methods
All methodsProduct Discovery
Pretotyping
Turns a product idea into a market claim and tests demand with the smallest possible real-world setup before investing in a prototype.
Product Discovery
Fake Door Test
Turns customer problem, solution idea, and evidence into a tangible result by defining the hypothesis and target signal, shaping the fake door, and deciding what to learn next.
Product Discovery
MVP Test Matrix
Moves customer problem, solution idea, and evidence toward a concrete result through "list assumptions", "map assumptions to dimensions", and "derive the test plan".
Product Discovery
Landing Page Test
Turns customer problem, solution idea, and evidence into a tangible result by formulating the value proposition, creating the landing page, and evaluating messaging and offer.
Statt Smoke Test, wenn du mit Landing Page Test Interesse an einem Angebot über eine konkrete Angebotsseite messen willst.
Product Discovery
Experiment Canvas
Moves customer problem, solution idea, and evidence toward a concrete result through "clarify the learning goal and the assumption to test", "formulate the hypothesis as an if-then statement", and "define the decision rule after the test".
Product Discovery
Solution Interview
Clarifies customer problems, solution ideas, and evidence by preparing a solution concept, recruiting target customers, and deriving risks and next tests.