Entrepreneur Edge

Validation is often misunderstood as a technical milestone.
It is not.

Validation is a behavioral one.

What Validation Is (and Isn’t)

Validation is not:

• Positive feedback
• Survey responses
• Sign-ups with no follow-through

Validation is evidence that someone will change behavior to obtain what you offer.

That change can be:

• Paying
• Waiting
• Replacing an existing solution
• Accepting inconvenience

Anything less is opinion.

Non-Technical Validation Methods That Work

1. Problem Interviews (Not Solution Pitches)
Speak only about the user’s workflow and pain.
If they ask about your solution, deflect.

You are measuring intensity, not interest.

2. Commitment Before Convenience
Ask for something that costs them:

• A pre-order
• A deposit
• A scheduled follow-up
• Access to internal data

Interest without commitment is entertainment.

3. Manual Fulfilment
If you cannot manually deliver the outcome once, automation is premature.

Manual delivery reveals:

• True complexity
• Hidden dependencies
• What users actually value

The Founder’s Emotional Mistake

Founders often avoid validation because it threatens identity.

If the market says “no,” it feels personal.

But markets are indifferent, not judgmental.

Early rejection is not failure—it is compression of learning.

A Useful Reframe

Instead of asking:

“Is this idea good?”

Ask:

“What would someone have to do for this to be undeniably real?”

Design your validation around that answer.