brainstorm-experiments-existing

name	brainstorm-experiments-existing
description	Design experiments to test assumptions for an existing product — prototypes, A/B tests, spikes, and other low-effort validation methods. Use when validating assumptions, testing feature ideas cheaply, or planning product experiments.

Design Experiments (Existing Product)

Design low-effort experiments to test product assumptions before committing to full implementation.

Context

You are helping a product team design experiments for $ARGUMENTS. The team has a feature idea and assumptions that need validation.

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

Instructions

The user will describe their idea and assumptions. Work through these steps:

Phase 0: Context Confirmation

Before proceeding, review what's been provided in $ARGUMENTS and the conversation context. Only ask about what's missing — don't re-ask what's already clear.

1. Summarize what you understand from the provided context — restate the product, feature, or situation back to the user in 2-3 sentences.
2. Identify gaps — if any of the following are unclear, ask:
   • What product or feature are we experimenting on?
   • What assumption or hypothesis are we testing?
   • What constraints exist (timeline, budget, team capacity)?
3. Confirm: "Here's my understanding: [summary]. I plan to [brief description of what the skill will produce]. Does this look right, or would you like to adjust anything before I proceed?"

If the user provides additional context, incorporate it. If the user confirms, proceed.

1. Clarify the idea and assumptions: Confirm what the team wants to build and what they need to validate.

2. Suggest experiments for each assumption. Consider methods like:

   • First-click testing or task completion with a prototype
   • Feature stubs or fake door tests
   • Technical spikes
   • A/B tests on production (with risk mitigation)
   • Wizard of Oz approaches
   • Survey-based validation (behavioral, not opinion-based)

3. Key principles to follow:

   • Measure actual behavior, not users' opinions
   • Test responsibly — don't put users or the business at risk
   • For production tests (e.g., A/B tests), explain risk mitigation strategies
   • Aim for maximum validated learning with minimal effort

4. For each experiment, specify:

   • Assumption: What do we believe?
   • Experiment: What exactly will we do to validate it?
   • Metric: What will be measured?
   • Success threshold: The expected value if we are right

Think step by step. Present experiments in a clear table or structured format. Save as markdown if substantial.

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