This 2022 version specifically aligns with learning objectives tied to ICP validation and JTBD discovery, ensuring that each sprint review is a step toward deeper market understanding and revenue generation.

This document provides a structured framework for conducting Sprint Reviews focused on new revenue initiatives. These initiatives aim to validate two core hypotheses:

1. Will they buy? — Testing the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to determine if the target audience is receptive.
2. Why do they buy? — Exploring the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) and validating the value proposition.

The framework is designed for rapid iteration and learning, enabling teams to fine-tune their approach based on data-driven insights. The goal is to generate actionable outcomes that refine both targeting and messaging to maximize new revenue potential.

This framework is a starting point to guide sales teams in validating who the right customers are (ICP) and understanding why they buy (JTBD). Success relies on constant iteration, adaptation, and a willingness to pivot based on what the data—and customers—tell you.

By maintaining focus on ICP and JTBD, teams can refine their targeting, optimize messaging, and drive sustainable new revenue growth.

Overview

This process revolves around two meeting structures:

1. Weekly Huddle: A tactical session to monitor short-term progress and identify immediate adjustments.
2. Monthly Sprint Review: A strategic, data-driven review focused on testing the ICP and JTBD hypotheses, analyzing successes and failures, and planning the next sprint.

This approach emphasizes experimentation, learning, and adaptation, ensuring that efforts align with discovering the most effective ways to generate new revenue.

1. Weekly Huddle

Purpose: A quick, tactical check-in to track sales progress, validate early hypotheses, and make necessary adjustments in the pursuit of new revenue.

Structure:

• Progress on ICP Validation (+): What have you learned about the Ideal Customer Profile? Are you reaching the right audience? Share any successful outreach examples.
• Challenges in JTBD Discovery (-): What obstacles are you facing in uncovering why potential customers might buy? Are there signals indicating a mismatch between assumptions and customer behavior?
• Opportunities for Experimentation (△): What new tactics or hypotheses should be tested to further validate the ICP or JTBD? Are there adjustments in messaging or targeting to explore?
• Help Needed for Better Validation: Specify areas where you need support (e.g., more data on customer pain points, refinement of outreach strategies, or feedback on the value proposition).

Guidelines:

• Duration: 20-30 minutes.
• Frequency: Weekly.
• Key Participants: Sales leads, business development managers, and relevant stakeholders focused on validating ICP and JTBD.
• Metrics: Early-stage indicators like response rates, initial engagement, ICP alignment, and qualitative feedback on messaging relevance.

Customization: Adapt the weekly focus based on which hypothesis (ICP or JTBD) needs more validation. Prioritize high-leverage activities that can provide fast learning cycles.

2. Monthly Sprint Review

Purpose: A comprehensive review to validate whether you’re targeting the right customer (ICP) and understand why they make purchasing decisions (JTBD). The aim is to learn from outcomes, adapt strategies, and refine hypotheses for the next sprint.

Structure:

• ICP Validation:
  • Hypothesis Testing: Did the targeted ICP segments engage as expected? What characteristics define the leads that showed interest?
  • Audience Insights: What new information was gathered about the target audience? Were there unexpected behaviors or commonalities that emerged?
  • Channel Effectiveness: Which channels (e.g., email, LinkedIn, cold calls) were most effective in engaging the ICP? Were there any unexpected successes or failures?
• JTBD & Value Proposition Validation:
  • Hypothesis Testing: What assumptions about JTBD were tested? Did customers resonate with the proposed value proposition?
  • Buying Triggers: What specific factors or triggers led to conversions? Were there pain points that consistently drove engagement?
  • Messaging Effectiveness: Which messaging elements were most persuasive in getting leads to engage or convert? Did any JTBD-related statements fall flat?
• Sales Review:
  • Deal Analysis: Focus on the deals that closed and those that didn’t. What JTBD was effectively fulfilled for successful sales?
  • Conversion Funnel: Analyze the conversion rates at each funnel stage, specifically focusing on ICP and JTBD alignment.
  • Gaps in Value Communication: Identify areas where the value proposition didn’t align with customer expectations. Were there insights that could reshape the JTBD understanding?

Guidelines:

• Duration: 60-90 minutes.
• Frequency: Monthly.
• Key Participants: Sales team, strategy leads, business development managers, and any relevant stakeholders who contribute to revenue initiatives.
• Metrics: Number of deals closed with ICP-aligned customers, feedback on the value proposition’s clarity, conversion rates by channel, and qualitative data on customer motivations (JTBD insights).

Customization: Adapt the focus of each review based on current sprint learnings. Prioritize the hypothesis that is lagging in validation.

Metrics Definition

For new revenue generation initiatives, metrics are centered around validating ICP and JTBD hypotheses. Clear metrics provide insights into the target audience’s relevance and the effectiveness of the value proposition.

Suggested Metrics:

• Weekly:
  • Number of leads aligned with the ICP.
  • Engagement rates with targeted ICP segments.
  • Qualitative feedback on initial messaging (e.g., positive responses indicating a strong JTBD match).
• Monthly:
  • Number of deals closed with ICP-matching leads.
  • JTBD resonance: Feedback on why customers engaged or did not engage with the value proposition.
  • Conversion rates segmented by ICP characteristics.
  • Average deal size compared to traditional sales (indicating if targeting the right ICP).

Customization: Modify metrics to focus on those that most clearly indicate the success of ICP and JTBD hypotheses.

Roles & Responsibilities

To validate both the ICP and JTBD effectively, clear roles are necessary for structured learning and efficient sprint execution.

A Sales Lead provides tactical feedback from the field on what’s working and what needs adjustment.

A Sales Analyst & JTBD Specialist/Strategis focuses on uncovering customer motivations, testing hypotheses around JTBD, and refining the value proposition and analyzes metrics related to ICP targeting and JTBD validation, providing insights into success factors.

If more data is required, you might involve a market researcher.

Continuous Feedback Loop

For new revenue generation, ongoing iteration based on accurate learning is essential. Here’s how to ensure a structured feedback process:

1. Document Learnings: Record key insights from each Weekly Huddle and Monthly Sprint Review, focusing on ICP validation and JTBD alignment.
2. Hypothesis Tracking: Maintain a central repository for tracking hypotheses about the ICP and JTBD. Note each validation or invalidation.
3. Iterative Adjustments: Clearly define what will change based on the insights—targeting criteria, messaging tweaks, channel adjustments, etc.
4. Customer Insight Repository: Store qualitative feedback, JTBD findings, and lessons learned about customer motivations to continuously sharpen sales strategies.

Sales initiatives targeting new revenue are highly experimental. Your approach must involve rapid learning and adaptation:

• Test Quickly: Validate ICP and JTBD hypotheses as quickly as possible using high-leverage experiments.
• Learn from Failures: If a hypothesis is invalidated, document why and use that learning to adjust targeting or messaging.
• Double Down on Wins: Scale efforts in areas where ICP and JTBD alignment is strong and new revenue potential is clear.

Best Practices for New Revenue Validation

• Keep Weekly Huddles focused on what you are learning about the ICP and JTBD.
• Utilize a structured format for ICP and JTBD hypotheses, including clear expectations and outcomes.
• Emphasize qualitative feedback and open-ended questions to discover nuances in why customers buy.
• Use data dashboards to visualize trends in ICP engagement and JTBD resonance.

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