Validate a Business Idea

Proof required

Submit notes or transcripts from at least 5 problem interviews. For each, give the person's role and context; full names aren't needed. Record the problem they described, how they handle it now and how painful it is. Add a 100+ word synthesis: validated, partly validated or invalidated.

What gets checked

• Five distinct people who match the target customer, with each person's role described. Repeat interviews, supportive friends or family, or off-profile people don't count.
• Notes use the customer's own words. 'They confirmed the problem' is a summary, not evidence.
• The synthesis includes contradictory evidence. Anyone who called it minor or already solved must appear.

Common mistakes

• Pitching during the interview. Courtesy then contaminates every answer; save the solution for Milestone 2.
• Only interviewing people who already agree. Recruit through cold outreach or neutral communities instead.
• Stopping at 'yes, it's a problem'. Ask how often, what they've tried and what they've paid.

Resources

Arena

What a verifier looks for

• Look for the customer's own words, not the founder's summary.
• Ask whether anyone called the problem minor or solved. Real interviews usually produce some surprise.
• Ask who the target customer is and how each person was recruited. Five personal contacts means weak evidence.

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Proof required

Submit three things. First, a link or screenshot of what you showed. Second, notes from 5+ conversations recording what each person did or asked. Third, a 100+ word note on what you changed or cut.

What gets checked

• The artifact exists and is linked or shown. A plan to build something doesn't count.
• Notes record behaviour, not promises. 'They said they'd use it' doesn't count.
• At least one feature was added, cut or changed because of what customers showed you.

Common mistakes

• Building for weeks before showing anyone. The artifact should take days; a landing page is enough.
• Only showing enthusiasts. Include at least one person who was sceptical in the problem interviews.
• Treating 'they liked it' as validation. Ask what would need to be true to use it next week.

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Open the artifact. Without it, this milestone hasn't happened.
• Ask what people did during the demo. Did anyone ask about sign-up or price?
• Ask for the most surprising thing a customer said. No surprise suggests filtered responses.

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Proof required

Submit evidence of at least one real pre-sale. A payment receipt, signed letter of intent or written price commitment works. Add a 100+ word account of what you offered and asked. Say how they responded.

What gets checked

• Money moved, or a named person signed a specific price and delivery. Verbal interest and signups don't count.
• The buyer matches the target customer from Milestone 1. Friends, family or yourself don't count.
• The account is specific enough to judge whether the commitment is real. 'I asked and they agreed' isn't.

Common mistakes

• Treating email signups as pre-sales. One real pre-sale beats 100 email addresses.
• Testing a price far below your planned price. It doesn't show people will pay the real price.
• Not asking. After real interest, ask for a founding-customer deposit in the next conversation.

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Open the pre-sale evidence. Signups or verbal promises mean this milestone isn't done.
• Ask who the buyer is and how they were found. Personal obligation weakens the signal.
• Ask the quoted price versus the planned launch price. A large gap weakens the proof.

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