Module 1
Uncertainty, assumptions and learning
- Innovation uncertainty and evidence.
- Assumption mapping.
- Desirability, feasibility, viability and adoption.
- Critical assumption prioritisation.
- Learning goals and decision points.
Intermediate Flagship Programme
Lean Experimentation, Prototyping and Validation
Turn assumptions into testable hypotheses, design lean experiments and use evidence to make disciplined innovation decisions.
Course overview
Reduce uncertainty through rapid experiments, prototypes and evidence-based decisions.
Lean Experimentation, Prototyping and Validation develops the evidence discipline required to learn quickly under uncertainty. Participants identify critical assumptions, formulate hypotheses, select appropriate experiments, design prototypes and interpret evidence to decide whether to continue, adapt, narrow or stop.
Participants work through structured exercises and a realistic innovation challenge, progressively applying uncertainty, assumptions and learning, hypotheses and experiment design, prototyping for learning and the later course modules to make evidence-based decisions rather than treating innovation tools as isolated techniques.
The course emphasises practical judgement, usable outputs and workplace transfer so that participants can apply the methods immediately after the programme and adapt them to their organisation’s strategy, governance and innovation environment.
Learning outcomes
What participants will be able to do.
By the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Distinguish assumptions, hypotheses, tests, evidence and decisions.
- Map desirability, feasibility, viability and adoption assumptions.
- Prioritise assumptions by importance and uncertainty.
- Write testable hypotheses and predefine evidence thresholds.
- Select minimum-cost experiments and prototype fidelity.
- Design ethical and reliable learning activities.
- Interpret qualitative and quantitative evidence.
- Make explicit continue, adapt, narrow, pivot or stop decisions.
Who should attend
Designed for professionals building innovation capability.
- Innovation and product teams.
- Service designers and transformation professionals.
- Start-up, venture and corporate innovation teams.
- Project, programme and portfolio professionals managing uncertain initiatives.
- Managers sponsoring innovation experiments.
Prerequisites
Practical, professionally relevant entry requirements.
- Participants should have a concept, opportunity or innovation challenge to test where possible.
- Basic familiarity with innovation or product development is helpful but not mandatory.
- No statistical qualification is required.
Course structure
A five-part journey from assumptions to validated learning and next-step decisions.
The sequence may be delivered across five days or adapted to another approved format while preserving the learning outcomes.
Module 2
Hypotheses and experiment design
- Testable hypothesis structures.
- Leading versus lagging evidence.
- Behavioural versus attitudinal evidence.
- Evidence thresholds and stopping rules.
- Experiment ethics and validity.
Module 3
Prototyping for learning
- Prototype purpose and fidelity.
- Concept, process, service and digital prototypes.
- Concierge, Wizard-of-Oz and simulation approaches.
- Minimum viable evidence.
- Cost, speed and learning trade-offs.
Module 4
Running tests and interpreting evidence
- Experiment execution and observation.
- Data capture and evidence quality.
- Sample limitations and noise.
- Avoiding confirmation and survivorship bias.
- Evidence reviews and learning logs.
Module 5
Innovation decisions and experiment portfolios
- Continue, adapt, narrow, pivot or stop.
- Sequencing experiments.
- Cumulative evidence and confidence.
- Experiment portfolio and learning cadence.
- Workplace validation plan.
Learning experience
Apply ideas—not simply remember terminology.
The course uses a structured mix of explanation, facilitated discussion, realistic innovation challenges and workplace-focused application.
Analyse
Integrated innovation case
Participants diagnose a realistic innovation situation and progressively build the course-specific innovation approach.
Practise
Tools and working templates
Exercises produce practical maps, canvases, decision aids, experiments, analyses and other course-specific working outputs.
Decide
Scenario-based workshops
Teams assess evidence, compare options, manage uncertainty and make defensible innovation decisions.
Reflect
Professional judgement
Facilitated reviews connect innovation methods with leadership behaviour, governance, ethics and accountability.
Apply
Workplace transfer
Participants identify how to adapt the methods to their own innovation challenges and organisational environment.
Reinforce
Knowledge checks
Short reviews, peer challenge and facilitator feedback confirm understanding and identify areas requiring further development.
Completion requirements
Demonstrate participation, application and professional judgement.
- Participate actively in discussions, exercises and innovation workshops.
- Complete the principal course outputs assigned during the programme.
- Contribute to the final application or decision workshop.
- Complete knowledge checks and a personal workplace action plan.
Participant outputs
Typical course outputs include:
- Assumption map.
- Prioritised hypothesis backlog.
- Experiment cards with evidence thresholds.
- Prototype/test design.
- Evidence and learning log.
- Decision record and next-experiment plan.
Delivery options
Choose the format that fits your people and business requirements.
Instructor-led
Live Classroom
Facilitated face-to-face learning with group exercises, case work, discussion and immediate feedback.
Instructor-led
Live Virtual Classroom
Interactive online delivery with facilitated workshops, collaborative activities and real-time discussion.
Flexible
Blended Learning
A structured combination of preparation, live facilitation, assignments and follow-up application.
Organisation-specific
Corporate and In-Company
Customised delivery aligned with the organisation’s strategy, terminology, innovation environment, governance and capability priorities.
Frequently asked questions
Course information and participation.
Do I need previous innovation experience?
The expected experience varies by course level. Foundation programmes require no formal innovation qualification; intermediate and advanced programmes benefit from relevant workplace exposure. The prerequisites above provide the course-specific guidance.
Will participants receive practical tools?
Yes. The programme uses structured templates and produces practical outputs that participants can adapt to their organisations, subject to local governance, legal and methodology requirements.
Can the programme be customised for an organisation?
Yes. Corporate delivery can incorporate organisation-specific innovation challenges, strategy, cases, governance, terminology, tools, portfolio priorities and expected outputs.
Does completion provide a professional certification?
The course develops practical innovation capability and provides an INDENTRA course-completion record where applicable. It is not presented as a third-party professional certification unless separately stated.
Can the five Modules be delivered in another format?
Yes. INDENTRA may adapt sequencing, exercises and delivery format while preserving the stated learning outcomes and overall learning effort.
Take the next step
Turn assumptions into testable hypotheses, design lean experiments and use evidence to make disciplined innovation decisions.
Discuss public delivery, a corporate cohort or a tailored programme aligned with your organisation’s innovation priorities.