Validate before you build
Get real evidence people want it before you write a line of code.
4 steps to get you moving, each with a resource worth your time and more waiting underneath
Think of this as a friendly starting line, not the last word. Each step gives you the gist, then a resource worth your time from founders who've been there. There's always more underneath, more questions and more resources, whenever you feel like digging in.
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1
Validating your idea
Get evidence before you write code.
What does 'validating an idea' actually mean?The gist Validation is gathering real-world evidence that a specific group of people has a painful problem AND will change their behaviour (pay, sign up, switch) for your solution, BEFORE you build the whole thing. It's not asking friends if they like it. It's designing cheap tests that could prove you wrong, and running them.
The Mom Test momtestbook.com The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past behaviour, not your idea, so you can't be lied to. If a founder reads one thing before talking to a single customer, it's this. -
2
Talking to customers & user research
Learn the truth without leading the witness.
How do I talk to customers without them just telling me what I want to hear?The gist Stop pitching and start interrogating their past. Ask about what they actually did last time the problem hit, what it cost them, and what they tried, never 'would you use this?' or 'is this a good idea?', because everyone lies to be nice. Talk about their life, not your idea.
The Mom Test momtestbook.com The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past behaviour, not your idea, so you can't be lied to. If a founder reads one thing before talking to a single customer, it's this. -
3
Understanding the problem (JTBD)
People hire products to do a job, find the job.
What does 'jobs to be done' actually mean?The gist People don't buy products, they 'hire' them to make progress in a specific situation, the famous milkshake was hired to make a boring commute bearable, not because it was tasty. Find the job, and you understand why people switch, what they compare you to, and what would make them fire you.
Clay Christensen's Milkshake Marketing HBS Working Knowledge The primary-source telling of the milkshake story, the single most memorable illustration of Jobs to Be Done, straight from Christensen and HBS. The best on-ramp to JTBD. -
4
Competitive & market research
Know the landscape better than the incumbents.
How do I research my competitors properly?The gist Go beyond their homepage: sign up, read their reviews, their churned-customer complaints, their job posts, and their pricing page. The gold is in what their customers wish were different, that's your wedge. Study them to find the gap, not to copy their roadmap.
G2, software reviews and competitive comparison G2 The fastest way to mine real customer complaints and comparisons about your competitors, the negative reviews are a free roadmap to your differentiation. A staple competitive-research tool.
