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InterviewDesk Research
Picnic in the Graveyard
The team identifies and studies past failed products, ideas, or startups in their field, reaching out to individuals or organizations behind them (e.g., founders, customers) to collect detailed accounts of what went wrong and why. They also review archived, published, or accessible materials (e.g., products, features) about these failures to extract additional insights.
When This Method Fits
Typical duration
Days – Weeks
Typical cost
Low – Medium
Fidelity level
Talk Only
Stage
Discovery
Hypothesis type
Exploratory
Goal type
Find product-market fit, Deepen product-market fit, Validate go-to-market strategy, Maximize societal impact, Drive corporate innovation / R&D
Randomization
N/A
Study design
Descriptive single-case study
Minimum units needed
3
1Best Fit When
Best when others have already tried and failed at something close to your idea, and you can learn directly from what went wrong.