Should you validate your product vision?

I think it was Paul Graham who once said, “Most startups fail because they’re solving problems that nobody has.”

Fact is, he’s right. Companies often fail because they didn’t take the time to understand if the product they are building is solving real-world problems. (Does anyone remember Juicero?)

Today I’d like to take some time to talk about product concept validation, some common mistakes, and how to break out of a cycle of ongoing derailment and potential failure.

TLDR

• Remove bias by testing your hypotheses, not validating your assumptions.
• Stay focused and on course and avoid shiny object syndrome.
• Share your concept and roadmap with your entire company — not just a select few.

Validation does not literally mean validation

The term “validation” is a bit of a two-edged sword. While the idea behind it is to understand if the product you’re building will find market fit, a lot of people take the word “validation” as the process of proving themselves right.

Validation is about testing and understanding where your product solves a problem, where it does not, and what gaps you can potentially fill to truly find a competitive edge. It does…