Assumption Grid

Using a risk vs certainty grid template helps to clearly visualize and prioritize options based on their level of risk and certainty, allowing for informed decision making.

Auto Populate Template →

How to Use the Assumption Grid to Make Better Decisions in Slatebox

At Slatebox, we understand that making informed decisions is essential to the success of any project or business. That's why we developed the Assumption Grid, a powerful tool that helps you evaluate your assumptions and make better decisions. In this guide, we'll explain how to use the Assumption Grid in Slatebox to improve your decision making.

What is the Assumption Grid?

The Assumption Grid is a decision-making tool that helps you evaluate the level of risk and certainty associated with your assumptions. It's a simple grid with four quadrants, each representing a different level of risk and certainty. By using the Assumption Grid, you can evaluate your assumptions and make informed decisions based on accurate and relevant information.

How to Use the Assumption Grid in Slatebox

To use the Assumption Grid in Slatebox, follow these steps:

  1. Open Slatebox and create a new project.
  2. Add the Assumption Grid template to your project.
  3. Customize the template by adding your own assumptions and evaluating them based on their level of risk and certainty.
  4. Once you have evaluated your assumptions, use that information to make informed decisions and move forward with your project or decision.

Here is an example of what kinds of assumptions you can plot:

Level of Risk Level of Certainty Example
Low Low Our social media campaign will result in increased engagement.
Low High Our product has a large market based on industry reports.
High Low Our new product feature will be well-received by customers.
High High Our partnership with a major influencer will significantly boost sales.

How Does the Assumption Grid Work in Slatebox?

The Assumption Grid works by breaking down your assumptions into four categories based on their level of risk and certainty. This allows you to evaluate each assumption and determine the best method for testing it. By using the Assumption Grid in Slatebox, you can ensure that your decisions are based on accurate and relevant information.

The four quadrants are:

Quadrant 1: Low Risk, Low Certainty

The first quadrant represents assumptions that have low risk and low certainty. These are assumptions that you can test quickly and easily with little to no cost or effort. To evaluate these assumptions, you can use low-cost or free tools like surveys, interviews, or A/B testing.

Quadrant 2: Low Risk, High Certainty

The second quadrant represents assumptions that have low risk but high certainty. These are assumptions that are well-supported by data or research and have a high degree of confidence. To evaluate these assumptions, you can use data analytics, market research, or other research-based methods.

Quadrant 3: High Risk, Low Certainty

The third quadrant represents assumptions that have high risk but low certainty. These are assumptions that require more research or testing to confirm and may have a higher cost associated with them. To evaluate these assumptions, you can use prototypes, simulations, or other testing methods that provide a higher degree of certainty.

Quadrant 4: High Risk, High Certainty

The fourth quadrant represents assumptions that have high risk and high certainty. These are assumptions that are critical to the success of a project or decision but have a high level of risk associated with them. To evaluate these assumptions, you can use rigorous testing methods like pilot programs, beta testing, or other high-risk, high-reward approaches.

Conclusion

The Assumption Grid is a valuable tool that can help you make better decisions and achieve greater success. By evaluating your assumptions and determining

Want to use the FREE Assumption Grid template now?
Auto populate the Assumption Grid Template →

Related Templates

Pros & Cons

Separate thoughts into a pro/con list

REAN

Use the REAN template to evaluate marketing activities related to reach, engagement, activation, and nurture.

What's on Your Radar

Organize items by importance and track if your ideas are likely to solve a problem.

Ansoff Model

The Ansoff Model is useful for evaluating and deciding on different strategies for a business to achieve its goals, such as market penetration, market development, product development, or diversification.

Conversion Funnel Backlog

A conversion funnel backlog is a must-have for any business looking to boost conversions and skyrocket success! It keeps track of all the "oopsies" and "what-ifs" in your sales process, ensuring every customer has a smooth journey from curious browser to loyal customer.

4 Ls Retrospective

The 4 L's Retrospective Template is a tool used to reflect on past experiences and events, and it is designed to provide a structured and efficient approach to reviewing and improving upon past performance

Design Brief

Create an eye-catching and memorable design that aligns with the brand identity.

Idea Funnel Backlog

Curate, focus, and prioritize your backlog while keeping ideas fluid.

2x2 Prioritization Matrix

Make an informed decision based on a weighting the possibilities.

3x3 Prioritization Matrix

Make an informed decision based on a weighting the possibilities.

Creative Brief

Gain clear direction and understanding of the project goals, target audience, and key messaging, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned and that the creative work produced is effective and on-strategy.

Impact Effort Matrix

The Impact/Effort matrix is a tool that helps individuals or teams prioritize tasks, projects, or initiatives based on their potential impact and the effort required to complete them.

Cost Benefit Analysis

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is a systematic approach to evaluating the potential costs and benefits of a project, policy, or investment decision. The goal of CBA is to determine whether the benefits of a project or decision outweigh the costs, or vice versa.

Product Canvas

Canva templates are pre-designed templates that you can customize according to your needs. This saves you a lot of time that you would otherwise spend designing a product from scratch

Likert Scale

To quickly gather quantitative data on attitudes or opinions by measuring agreement or disagreement on a scale.

Buyer Persona

Use a Buyer Persona template to create a detailed and accurate representation of your ideal customer, which can inform marketing and sales strategies.

Project Scope

A project scope template helps define project goals, deliverables, tasks, timelines, and resources to ensure project success and stakeholder alignment.

Porter's 5 Forces

Use the Porter's Five Forces template to analyze the competitive forces in your industry and make informed strategic decisions.

Visual Story Map

Visual story mapping offers a comprehensive view of how different parts of your project come together. Use a step-by-step process to plan out your story.

Growth experiments

A project scope template helps define project goals, deliverables, tasks, timelines, and resources to ensure project success and stakeholder alignment.

Timeline Workflow

The Timeline Workflow template is a visual tool that can be used to plan and track the progress of a project over time. It allows team members to see the project schedule at a glance, and provides a shared understanding of the tasks and milestones that need to be completed.

Swimlane

Stay in your (swim) lane! Step back and make sure effort is spent wisely and processes interact as little friction as possible.When processes start to get messy, it’s a good idea to take a step back and visualize who does what and when.

Product Roadmap

Using a product development roadmap template can help teams plan, visualize, and communicate the stages and goals of their product development process efficiently.

Strategy Diamond

The Strategy Diamond template is a strategic framework that can be used to develop and communicate a clear and coherent strategy for an organization.

Strategy Map

A Strategy Map Template is a visual tool that is designed to help organizations articulate their strategy and communicate it to stakeholders in a clear and concise way.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is a powerful strategic planning tool used by individuals and organizations to identify and analyze internal and external factors that impact their goals and objectives.

Quick Retrospective

Quickly reflect on past successes and failures, identify areas for improvement, and develop action plans with Slatebox's Quick Retrospective template.

Value Stream Map

A Value Stream Mapping template is used to analyze and improve the flow of materials and information in a process, identifying areas for optimization and waste reduction.

SIPOC

A SIPOC template is used to provide a high-level overview of a process and its inputs/outputs to help identify areas for improvement.

Mitch Lacey's Estimation Game

Mitch Lacey's Estimation Game Template is a tool that can be used by teams to improve their estimation and planning processes.

SAFe ROAM Board

The SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) ROAM (Risk, Opportunity, Ambiguity, and Mitigation) Board Template is a useful tool for managing risks and opportunities in agile projects.

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas template is a powerful tool that entrepreneurs and business professionals use to develop and refine their business ideas.

Influence Diagram

Influence diagrams are powerful tools that can help you model complex systems and decision-making processes.

Stakeholder Map

A Stakeholder Map template is a visual tool that helps organizations identify and analyze their stakeholders, including individuals, groups, and organizations that have an interest in their operations and may be affected by their decisions or activities.

RICE Prioritization

The RICE prioritization template is a useful tool for prioritizing ideas or projects based on their potential impact, effort required, and resources available.

3 Horizons of Growth

The 3 Horizons of Growth Template is a strategic planning tool that helps organizations map out their growth and innovation plans over the short, medium, and long term.

Product Roadmap

Product roadmap template can help businesses manage complex projects, stay focused on their goals, and communicate their plans effectively to stakeholders and team members.

Project proposal

Overall, using a project proposal template can save time, improve consistency and clarity, enhance professionalism, and facilitate the proposal creation process.

PI Planning

PI (Program Increment) Planning is a collaborative planning event used in agile methodologies to coordinate and align multiple teams towards a shared vision and goals.

PI Planning

PI (Program Increment) Planning is a collaborative planning event used in agile methodologies to coordinate and align multiple teams towards a shared vision and goals.

Timeline Workflow

Overall, a Timeline Workflow Template can help to improve project management, increase efficiency, and ensure that everyone involved in the project is working towards the same goals.

Project Canvas

The Project Canvas Template is a framework that helps organize and visualize a project's key components in a clear and concise manner. Using the template can bring several benefits to a project.

What's on Your Radar (Copy)

Organize items by importance and track if your ideas are likely to solve a problem.
`