Epic Hypothesis

This frames product epics as falsifiable hypotheses instead of feature commitments. You write an if/then statement (if we build X for persona Y, then outcome Z), design cheap experiments to test it before building anything real, and set measurable success criteria with a timeframe. The structure forces you to name your assumptions explicitly and gives you permission to kill ideas that don't validate. Use it when you're exploring new features and want to avoid building the wrong thing. Skip it for proven features where you already have demand signals. The "tiny acts of discovery" framing is particularly useful for getting stakeholders comfortable with running lightweight tests instead of jumping straight to engineering work.

skills.sh installs: 2.9K
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last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add deanpeters/product-manager-skills --skill epic-hypothesis --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Purpose

Frame epics as testable hypotheses using an if/then structure that articulates the action or solution, the target beneficiary, the expected outcome, and how you'll validate success. Use this to manage uncertainty in product development by making assumptions explicit, defining lightweight experiments ("tiny acts of discovery"), and establishing measurable success criteria before committing to full build-out.

This is not a requirements spec—it's a hypothesis you're testing, not a feature you're committed to shipping.

Input

Works best with: The initiative or epic idea, in whatever form it currently exists — a sentence is enough. Also useful: The target user, the outcome you expect, and how you might measure it (the skill helps you sharpen all three).

Anything supplied with the invocation itself — text after the skill name, a pasted context dump, or an appended ARGUMENTS: line — counts as answers already given. Use it and skip whatever it covers; don't re-ask.

Arriving empty-handed? That works too. The skill asks what the initiative is and who it's for, then builds the if/then hypothesis with you.

SKILL.md on GitHub