Who This Helps
If you're a Founder Operator running the GTM Strategy & Messaging program, you know you need to test new ideas. But which one first? This method helps you cut through the noise and pick the single best experiment to run with your team next week. No more endless debates.
Mini Case
Sam's team had 8 potential messaging tests on their list. They spent 2 hours arguing in a meeting and picked one based on a gut feeling. After 3 weeks and $5k in ad spend, they saw zero lift. Sound familiar? We'll make sure that doesn't happen to you.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- List Your Candidates: Grab your team. Write down every single experiment idea on a whiteboard or doc. No filtering yet. Aim for at least 5.
- Define Two Simple Scores: For each idea, give it a score from 1-5 for Impact (how much it could move revenue) and Ease (how fast/cheap it is to test).
- Do The Quick Math: Multiply Impact x Ease for each idea. The highest score wins. It's that simple. This takes the emotion out of the decision.
- Pressure Test the Winner: Ask: "If this fails, what did we learn?" If the answer is "nothing," tweak the experiment to ensure you get a clear signal.
- Lock In Resources: Name one person to run it. Block 2 hours on their calendar this week to set it up. Decide what "done" looks like (e.g., 500 clicks, 20 demos booked).
Avoid These Traps
- The HiPPO Trap: The Highest Paid Person's Opinion shouldn't automatically win. Let the scores decide.
- The 'Everything is High Impact' Trap: If everything is a 5, your scale is broken. Force rank them. Only one idea can be the most impactful.
- The Perfection Trap: Don't design the perfect experiment for 3 weeks. Design a good enough test you can launch in 3 days. Speed beats precision.
- The Lone Wolf Trap: If you pick it in a vacuum, your team won't be bought in. Do the scoring together, even if it's a quick 30-minute call.
Your Win by Friday
By this Friday, you won't have a list of 10 things you might do. You'll have one prioritized experiment, a named owner, and a launch plan. You'll save your team 4 hours of circular debate next Monday. Your next decision will be driven by compact evidence, not chaos. Go make it happen—your future self will thank you for the clarity.