Socratic Questioning
Test every assumption before you build on it.
The Socratic Method isn't about having the right answer — it's about exposing the unexamined assumptions underneath a position. In innovation, most bad decisions aren't made with bad data. They're made by people who never questioned their premises. This canvas gives you six question types to stress-test any idea, strategy, or belief.
How to run this
- State the belief or claim you want to test at the top.
- Work through each question type in order — don't skip any.
- Pay most attention to questions you resist. Resistance signals a real assumption.
- Note where you can't answer — those are your blind spots and experiment list.
- Revise your original claim based on what survived scrutiny.
Socratic Questioning
Socrates · Ancient Greece · adapted for business by Paul and ElderUsing this tool to confirm what you already believe. If every question gets an easy answer, you're not pushing hard enough.
At least two assumptions you can't fully justify. Those are your experiment list — the things you need to test before committing.
When you've stress-tested the core claim and identified which assumptions are load-bearing — the ones that, if wrong, would change everything.
Try it interactively with WAiDE
WAiDE will guide you through the six question types — asking the follow-up questions that expose the assumptions you haven't examined. You'll leave with a cleaner claim and a session report.