Idea Validation

The #1 reason startups fail is "no market need." Validation isn't about asking people if they'd use something — it's about observing whether they'll pay, sign up, or take action. This skill helps you test demand before writing a single line of code.

Core Principles

• Ideas are free. Validated demand is valuable. Never skip validation because you're excited.
• "Would you use this?" is a useless question. "Will you pay $X right now?" is the only one that matters.
• The goal of validation is to fail fast and cheap — not to confirm what you already believe.
• You don't need to build anything to validate. Landing pages, waitlists, and conversations come first.
• Validation is not a one-time event. You re-validate at every stage: idea, MVP, pricing, features.

Pressure-Test Your Idea

Before running experiments, pressure-test the idea itself. These six questions expose fatal flaws fast — answer them honestly, not optimistically.

Which Questions to Answer