assumptions

Definition

Unverified propositions accepted as fact in business planning and modeling—the foundation of most strategic decisions that nobody will admit to during due diligence.

Example Usage

Our revenue projections rest on several key assumptions: market growth of 25%, zero competition, and customers actually wanting our product.

Source: Common business terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

circling back

The act of returning to a previous topic or decision, usually after everyone hoped it was dead and buried. Corporate speak for 'remember that thing we already discussed to death?'

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

pitfall

The obvious-in-retrospect trap that everyone falls into despite numerous warnings and past victims. It's the business equivalent of a concealed hole in the ground, except it's usually labeled 'Best Practice' or 'Industry Standard.' Pitfalls are most dangerous because they look like reasonable decisions until you're already stuck at the bottom wondering how you missed all the red flags.

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

front-line manager

The first level of management overseeing individual contributors, bearing the brunt of both executive mandates and employee complaints. The organizational equivalent of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

requirement

Something you absolutely must do, have, or provide—no wiggle room, no negotiation. It's the non-negotiable line item on every project checklist that nobody wants to acknowledge until the deadline looms.

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

outsourcing

The business practice of hiring someone else to do your work, usually overseas and for less money, then acting surprised when quality and communication suffer. It's how companies cut costs while executives explain that layoffs are necessary for competitiveness, right before their bonuses arrive. Originally sold as focusing on "core competencies," it often results in nobody being competent at anything.

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

productivity

The corporate holy grail measuring how much output you squeeze from workers per unit of time, usually tracked with software that makes everyone paranoid. It's the difference between looking busy and actually accomplishing things, though modern workplace culture has trouble distinguishing between the two. Management consultants worship it, workers resent measuring it, and nobody agrees on how to improve it.

💼 Corporate / Business

Translate This Term

See “assumptions” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Intermediate

Its Giving

A phrase used to describe the energy or vibe something is projecting. Originating from ballroom culture, it's now used t...