Plan one decision-led research round
Turn venture assumptions into a focused research round that can inform one specific decision.
- Preparation
- A focused planning session before recruitment
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Task
- Focus the next research round
Before you start
Get what you need before you start
- State the pending venture decision and list the assumptions behind it.
- Choose an approved spreadsheet with access limited to the research team.
Steps
Work through the method
Use the listed inputs and tools. Check the evidence when you need to verify a step.
State the blocked decision
Write the decision, its owner, and the date when evidence will be reviewed.
Why it matters: The round needs a clear decision before questions and methods are chosen.
- Input
- The pending venture decision.
- Output
- A one-sentence decision statement.
Tools in this stepGoogle SheetsEvidence for this step
One Georgia Tech entrepreneur-in-residence programme names market assessment and value-proposition validation as deliverables.
Georgia Tech Quadrant-i: KEY DELIVERABLES, items 1 and 2GOV.UK guidance links research questions, relevant user groups, and suitable research activities.
GOV.UK Service Manual: Agree research questions; Identify user groups; Choose relevant research activities
List the assumptions
Record what must be true for the current option to make sense, without presenting the assumptions as facts.
Why it matters: Explicit assumptions can become research questions.
- Input
- The decision statement and current rationale.
- Output
- A short assumption list.
Tools in this stepGoogle SheetsEvidence for this step
A practitioner recommends narrowing each research round and documenting its questions before interviews begin.
First Round Review: PHASE 1: FORM A RESEARCH PLAN
Turn assumptions into questions
Write open research questions and rank them by their effect on the decision.
Why it matters: A narrow round protects the link between evidence and the pending choice.
- Input
- The assumption list.
- Output
- One or two priority research questions.
Tools in this stepGoogle SheetsEvidence for this step
GOV.UK guidance links research questions, relevant user groups, and suitable research activities.
GOV.UK Service Manual: Agree research questions; Identify user groups; Choose relevant research activitiesA practitioner recommends narrowing each research round and documenting its questions before interviews begin.
First Round Review: PHASE 1: FORM A RESEARCH PLAN
Define the relevant people
Describe the people who recently faced the situation needed to answer each question.
Why it matters: The participant group must match the research question.
- Input
- The priority questions.
- Output
- A participant definition with recent-experience criteria.
Tools in this stepGoogle SheetsEvidence for this step
GOV.UK guidance links research questions, relevant user groups, and suitable research activities.
GOV.UK Service Manual: Agree research questions; Identify user groups; Choose relevant research activities
Choose the method
Select interviews, observation, or another activity that can produce the needed evidence.
Why it matters: The method should follow the question and participant group.
- Input
- The questions and participant definition.
- Output
- A method choice with a written reason.
Tools in this stepGoogle SheetsEvidence for this step
GOV.UK guidance links research questions, relevant user groups, and suitable research activities.
GOV.UK Service Manual: Agree research questions; Identify user groups; Choose relevant research activities
Set the evidence review
State what the team will inspect and how it will decide to continue, change direction, or gather more evidence.
Why it matters: A review rule keeps the round connected to the original decision.
- Input
- The complete research plan.
- Output
- A review checklist and named decision meeting.
Tools in this stepGoogle SheetsEvidence for this step
A practitioner recommends narrowing each research round and documenting its questions before interviews begin.
First Round Review: PHASE 1: FORM A RESEARCH PLAN
Success checks
Check the result before you finish
- The plan names one decision and one owner.
- Every question maps to the participant group and method.
- The review rule avoids promised outcomes or unsupported thresholds.
Failure modes
Watch for these problems
- Split the round when several decisions compete for the same interviews.
- Return to the assumption list when a question asks for general feedback.
- Pause recruitment when the participant definition depends on the unconfirmed entrepreneur-in-residence label.
Tools
Choose the tools you need
Tool
Google Sheets
A shared spreadsheet for source-linked research, decisions, and operating records that people can inspect and correct.
Check fit, limits and pricingSources
Read the sources behind this practice
Check what each source supports and where the advice has limits.
- Georgia Tech Quadrant-i: Entrepreneur-in-Residence ProgramOfficial programme documentation · Publication date unavailable
- First Round Review: How to Know if Your Idea's the Right OneEdited practitioner interview · Publication date unavailable
- GOV.UK Service Manual: Plan user research for your serviceGovernment service guidance · Publication date unavailable
- Google Workspace: Collaborative, AI-powered spreadsheetsOfficial product page · Publication date unavailable