Validating Problems
Prove problems are real before investing in solutions
Your Progress
Section 3 of 5Why Validation Matters
Identifying problems is the first step. Validating them is the second. Validation proves problems are real, frequent, painful, and worth solving before you invest months building.
Validation de-risks product development. A few weeks of validation can save months or years of building the wrong thing.
Validation Methods
Validation Methods
Problem Interviews
Talk to 10-15 potential users about the problem
- 1.Recruit target users
- 2.Ask about current workflow
- 3.Listen for pain points
- 4.Look for patterns
Problem exists and is painful
15 out of 15 users said manually creating reports takes 2+ hours weekly
Validation Best Practices
✓ Do This
- • Test with real target users
- • Look for behavior, not just words
- • Use multiple validation methods
- • Set clear success criteria upfront
- • Be ready to pivot or kill ideas
✗ Avoid This
- • Testing with friends and family
- • Asking "would you use this?"
- • Confirmation bias cherry-picking
- • Moving forward with weak signals
- • Skipping validation to move fast
Validation Criteria
Validation Checklist
Check off validation criteria as you confirm them. Aim for 70%+ before building.
Problem Existence
Problem Severity
Market Validation
✗ Weak validation - do not build yet
Fail Fast, Learn Fast
The goal of validation is not to prove you're right—it's to learn the truth as quickly and cheaply as possible. Embrace invalidation as a gift that saves you from bigger failures later.
Key Takeaways
- •Use validation methods that match your stage: interviews early, landing pages mid, concierge MVP late.
- •Look for behavior, not just words—what users do matters more than what they say.
- •Set validation criteria upfront (70%+ score) and be willing to pivot or kill ideas.
- •Validation de-risks development—a few weeks testing saves months of wrong building.