STEP 2.1: A CASE STUDY
Puts Assumptions to the Test
With a clear Core Concept and Audience Hypothesis, Maria now shifts from optimist to strategist. Before building her coaching program, she needs to identify and challenge the core assumptions her entire business idea rests upon.
The Challenge
Maria's idea feels right, but it's still a collection of well-educated guesses. She needs to deconstruct her plan to find the potential points of failure *before* investing time and energy into creating her program.
Core Concept:
"I will use my corporate project management experience and coaching skills to create structured wellness plans for busy professionals so they can reclaim their time without sacrificing career ambitions."
The Action
Maria uses the Problem-Solution Fit Canvas to get all her assumptions onto a single page, then ruthlessly prioritizes them.
Customer
- Management consultants in their late 20s/early 30s.
- Ambitious and career-focused.
- Feel overwhelmed but don't want to quit.
- Value structure and clear action plans.
Problem
- Believe burnout is just the 'cost of success'.
- Struggle to apply generic self-help advice.
- Lack a practical system for work-life balance.
- Worry about being seen as 'less committed'.
Solution
- A structured, multi-week coaching program is the ideal format.
- Will pay a premium for a personalized plan.
- Value a coach with a corporate background.
The Outcome
Maria now has a clear, prioritized list of her most critical assumptions. This isn't just a list; it's a strategic plan for her first customer interviews.
Maria's Top 3 Riskiest Assumptions to Test:
- The "Willingness to Pay" Assumption: 💰 Will management consultants, who are time-poor but often well-compensated, actually invest several thousand dollars in a coaching service for burnout prevention?
- The "Problem-Awareness" Assumption: Do they see burnout as a solvable problem they should invest in fixing, or just an unavoidable part of their career they need to endure?
- The "Solution-Format" Assumption: Is a structured, multi-week coaching program the right solution, or would they prefer a more flexible, on-demand resource they can use on their own time?