In brief: A stop word is a very frequent word that some systems ignore when processing text because it carries little distinguishing meaning by itself. The specific list depends on the language and tool.
How I use Stop words in practice
I use Stop words as a working framework, not as a box to tick in a presentation. I compare the company’s promise with what the customer actually experiences while searching, purchasing and using it. I turn the difference into a specific task and determine in advance how we will recognise progress. That turns a general term into a tool for product, marketing and sales.
What to watch out for
A workshop alone does not guarantee a result. The problem arises when Stop words become detached from the economics, team capacity or customer experience. Every assertion therefore needs a source, an owner for the next step and a date to revisit it.
Questions for decision-making
- Which specific decision should the term make more precise?
- What is our assertion based on, and what is still only a hypothesis?
- What will we do differently because of this decision?
- Who owns the change, and when will we evaluate its impact?