#validationboard

I see a lot of people get confused about what it means to iterate.

The definition of iterate is "to perform or utter repeatedly." In Lean Startup, it means trying the same experiment again with the hopes of better execution.

Trying a new experiment is not iterating. Iterations by definition, are within the same experiment.

Why iterate?

When an experiment fails to meet the Minimum Success Criterion, the only way you could have a false negative is if you did not execute properly. You may have not asked the right questions in your interviews, or you may have been interrupted midway through the experiment. Perhaps there was some other bias in your execution or you just want to try again and see if you will get the same result.

How do we represent iterations on the Validation Board?

We don't have a box for it. Essentially, if an experiment fails, you can just run it again under the same constraints of your original Minimum Success Criterion. Remember, the MSC must have an upper bound, whether it be the number of people you talk to, or the amount of time you have to reach the goal.