In Teresa Torres’ video presentation, she introduces the “Ladder of Evidence,” a framework designed to help product teams get more value from customer interviews and product experiments. The ladder has different levels, or rungs, each representing a different level of evidence. As teams move up the ladder, they invest more time and effort in collecting feedback, but they also gain more valuable insights.

Torres emphasizes the importance of avoiding speculation and instead asking direct questions about past behaviors. She suggests asking for specific stories about past experiences, as these provide more reliable insights than just factual answers. To evaluate solutions effectively, Torres advises teams to simulate experiences and measure actual actions taken by users, rather than relying on speculative questions like “What do you think?”

The bottom rungs of the ladder involve less valuable methods like focus groups and surveys, where participants are asked about their potential future actions. The top rungs of the ladder include testing ideas against existing competitor products. Overall, the Ladder of Evidence is presented as a guide for product teams to balance speed with reliable research practices. By climbing the ladder, teams can optimize their research methods and gain more valuable insights.