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Project Assumptions

Purpose: Central tracking of all project assumptions

Confirmed Assumptions

Organization & Capacity

  • C1. Art of Living DC currently has <200 registrations over two years (baseline for growth target)
  • C2. Approximately 60 volunteers available: 10 in-person + 20 online + 30 course graduates
  • C3. Board's primary concern is immediate campaign results (registrations), not infrastructure
  • C4. There is an established DC Center physical space
  • C5. Budget requests can be made if they solve a purpose greatly (not a hard limit)
  • C6. 501(c)(3) compliance is established and maintained

Market & Audience

  • C7. Target demographic is urban professionals aged 30-50 in DC area (20009 zip code focus)
  • C8. Mainstream DC professionals respond better to "wellness" framing than "spiritual" framing
  • C9. Wellness-first positioning won't alienate the spiritual core community

Outreach Approach

  • C10. Focus on direct human outreach through various channels (not Sattva app conversion - that's central body's domain)
  • C11. "Sattva" (purity/harmony) as a principle guides interactions, not as an app funnel
  • C12. Diverse volunteer representation matters - people need to see themselves in the community

Campaigns & Timeline

  • C13. World Meditation Day (December 21) is a fixed date - 3 weeks timeline
  • C14. Mega Course (January 2025) is first of many, taught by star teacher - goal is momentum building
  • C15. Phased Go/No-Go gates will satisfy board's risk concerns

Stakeholder Communication

  • C16. Stories should be crisp and string together benefits of a coherent plan
  • C17. Some stakeholders focus on HOW to generate numbers (registration & awareness > revenue)
  • C18. Fees are predetermined by larger body; discount codes can be requested if important
  • C19. Higher budget requests possible if urgency/importance case is made

Volunteer Engagement

  • C20. Volunteer burnout is a real risk that professional systems will mitigate
  • C21. Some volunteers are devoted from day one; others need nurturing - adapt approach

Teacher Engagement

  • C40. Suburb teachers currently operate as A-to-Z organizers for their own events, leaving no bandwidth to support others
  • C41. Teachers will engage with center activities if the ask is minimal (once/month), expectations are explicit, and systems handle logistics
  • C42. Decision opacity (not communicating the "why" behind changes) causes teacher disengagement

Community Building

  • C43. Community building requires 12+ month commitment; 3-month evaluations are premature for new programs
  • C44. Young professionals expect yoga studios to have integrated ecosystems (pilates, strength, community space) — breathing/meditation alone may feel incomplete
  • C45. Footfalls (new visitors) are a leading indicator; conversions (registrations) are lagging — optimize for presence first
  • C46. Low-pressure environments (no sales push) build trust; trusted spaces see repeat visitors who eventually go deeper

Leadership & Governance

  • C47. Rotating leadership (3 new leads per course) prevents burnout and brings fresh energy
  • C48. New leads need guiltless, unjudged space to grow — mistakes are learning, not failures
  • C49. Central team (2 people) should support and follow leads, not control — they're enablers, not bottlenecks
  • C50. Warm handoffs from previous leads (available first 2 weeks) are essential for continuity
  • C51. Sakhi can proactively nudge leads with upcoming milestones and surface relevant templates/drafts

Participant Journey

  • C22. Core journey: Intro session → Art of Living Part 1 → Sahaj Samadhi → Silent Retreat
  • C23. Intro session gives partial experience; retention needs continued nurturing through the journey

Research & Credibility

  • C24. Multiple research studies available at artofliving.org/research-sudarshan-kriya
  • C25. Keep citations focused and effective; create separate research doc if needed

IT & Tools

  • C26. IT team (couple of volunteers) builds tools using n8n/Camunda behind the scenes
  • C27. General volunteers only interact with familiar tools (Google Sheets, WhatsApp, Slack)
  • C28. NotebookLM used by IT team as knowledge base, with Google Docs + WhatsApp for general volunteer access
  • C52. Google Drive is the shared workspace — templates, contact lists, event docs, and collaboration happen there
  • C53. Sakhi should work with Google Drive (surface templates, pre-fill docs) not replace it

Success Metrics

  • C29. Both new acquisition AND retention are important success metrics
  • C30. Current state is poor - any improvement is building success (no fixed threshold)

Timeline & Capacity

  • C31. Sprint timeline Nov 20 → Jan 15 confirmed; volunteer capacity sufficient
  • C32. More volunteer activation with creative push is ideal
  • C33. 6-month target for most initiatives; deeper works (entrance construction) may extend beyond

Priority Tiers (Working Consensus)

  • C34. Immediate: WMD (3 weeks) + Mega Course (ongoing, first in ~1 month)
  • C35. Immediate/Parallel: Basic communication streamlining (must be in place first)
  • C36. High/Parallel: Neighborhood presence (can proceed with conventional channels)
  • C37. Backlog (prioritized): Center presentation, digital kiosk (high priority for presence/communication)
  • C38. Backlog: Deeper IT infrastructure (after requirements clear)

Whitney Building

  • C39. Whitney Building is brief mention only ("initial testing location") - not a strategic focus

Unresolved Assumptions

Partnerships & Outreach

  • U1. Libraries, Busboys & Poets, and embassies receptivity varies - need contacts, collaterals, and approach tips per venue
  • U2. Property managers/HOAs openness varies - need specific outreach approach and success stories

Activation Targets

  • U4. Sprint 0 can activate 20+ graduate ambassadors and contact 10 property managers (numbers not validated)

Invalidated Assumptions

ID Assumption Campaign/Context How It Failed Remarks
I1 Free yoga sessions will attract consistent attendance within 3 months Free Yoga at Center 1-2 attendees per session; volunteers commuting from suburbs for near-empty rooms Community doesn't form in 90 days. Need 12+ month runway + parallel community building (food, events, hangouts)
I2 Suburb teachers will stay engaged if we just stop communicating Free Yoga at Center Teachers had no visibility into decisions; when sessions stopped without explanation, teachers disengaged entirely Decision opacity breaks trust. Always communicate the "why" when pivoting

Move assumptions here when evidence shows they don't hold. This helps avoid repeating mistakes.

Reference Notes (Lower Priority)

FitDC Program

  • DC public office & insurance sponsor provide free online SKY course for DC residents
  • Challenge: Free participants often don't value as much
  • Opportunity: Offer in-person repeat for ~$50 (non-zero value)
  • Status: Not actively promoted but can be leveraged
  • Index — Documentation home

Last updated: 2025-12-24

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