You’ve polished your pitch, impressed a few investors, and maybe even closed a funding round. But here’s the truth: a great pitch deck doesn’t guarantee a great product. What really matters is what happens after the pitch—when your product faces real users, real markets, and real problems.
As a mentor and consultant to startups across industries, I’ve seen the same mistake repeated over and over: founders fall in love with their idea instead of validating it in the real world. If you’re serious about building something that grows, scales, and solves actual problems, then product validation is your next non-negotiable step.
Let’s explore how to validate your product outside the pitch room—where it truly counts.

You can also listen to a discussion of this blog post below.

Understand the Problem—Not Just the Idea

A misconceptions I see among early-stage founders is assuming that if their idea sounds good in theory, it must be valuable in practice. It’s not. A good idea only matters if it solves a real, urgent problem for a specific group of people.

Start with interviews, not development. Talk to potential users and ask:
– What keeps them up at night?
– What current solution are they using—and how is it failing them?
– Would they pay to solve this problem today?

You’re not looking for compliments. You’re looking for truth—even if it hurts.

Pro Insight: One of the fintech startups I mentored launched a beautifully designed budgeting app. But after talking to users post-launch, we discovered that the majority didn’t want another app—they wanted personalized, WhatsApp-based finance advice. The founders pivoted to a chat-based solution and retention skyrocketed.

Validate with Action—Not Opinions

Once you’ve defined the problem and your solution, it’s time to move from idea to action. This means testing with real users, not just asking for feedback.

Ways to validate:
– Build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)—keep it simple.
– Use landing pages to test interest before you build.
– Pre-sell the product or run paid ads to gauge traction.
– Offer early access to a small beta group and observe usage behavior.

What you’re trying to learn:
– Are people willing to pay or sign up?
– Are they using it more than once?
– What features do they ignore or request?

If you’re not uncomfortable with how basic your MVP feels, you’ve probably overbuilt it.

Iterate Based on Data, Not Assumptions

Now comes the most important part: use what you’ve learned to refine your product. Don’t just collect data—act on it.

Set up simple systems:
– Use Mixpanel or Hotjar to track user behavior.
– Ask for feedback via in-app surveys or follow-up emails.
– Prioritize features that solve the largest pain points—not the ones that seem “cool.”

Validation isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing process of test → learn → improve. Even after launch, keep testing. Your first product is rarely your final one.

How a Healthtech Startup Pivoted from Idea to Product-Market Fit

A healthtech startup I worked with wanted to develop a high-tech wearable for diabetic patients. Their pitch got early interest from investors, but when they started interviewing patients, they learned that most users didn’t trust new devices—they wanted easier access to data and reminders.
Instead of building the wearable, we advised them to create a simple mobile app that integrated with the devices people were already using. Within three months, they had 10,000 users, daily engagement, and real user feedback to guide their roadmap.
Lesson? Validation saved them from building the wrong product—and gave them traction investors actually care about.

FAQ

When should I start validating?
Before you write a single line of code. Validation starts with problem discovery.

Do I need a product to validate?
No. You can validate with a landing page, prototype, or even a waitlist.

How many users do I need for meaningful feedback?
Start with 5–10 users for deep insights. Then aim for 50–100 to test patterns.

Should I pay for ads to validate?
Yes—paid ads can help test demand and messaging, especially for B2C.

What’s the biggest red flag in validation?
When people say “I like it,” but don’t take any action (sign up, pay, return).

What tools can help me test and validate quickly?
No-code tools like Glide, Webflow, Bubble, Typeform, and Notion are great starters.

How do I validate in a B2B context?
Pilot your product with one or two companies and track engagement or outcomes.

What if my MVP gets negative feedback?
That’s good—it means you’re learning. Adjust quickly and try again.

Should I build features based on every suggestion?
No. Listen, identify patterns, and prioritize based on the problem, not preferences.

Can validation replace market research?
Validation is real-world market research. It’s more valuable than a report.

10 Actionable Tips to Validate Your Product Today

1. Interview 10 potential users about their biggest pain points.
2. Create a landing page to test interest before building anything.
3. Run a $50 ad campaign to drive traffic to your product page.
4. Use Typeform to collect early signups and feedback.
5. Build an MVP using no-code tools like Bubble or Glide.
6. Offer pre-orders or beta access to test pricing.
7. Track behavior with tools like Hotjar, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics.
8. Schedule weekly review sessions with your team to assess findings.
9. Kill features that don’t serve a real user need.
10. Share your journey publicly—feedback will come from unexpected places.

A pitch might win you the meeting—but real-world validation wins you the market. Whether you’re in tech, healthcare, fashion, sustainability, or any other sector, the principle is the same: build for the user, not for the slide deck.
I’ve worked with dozens of startups who shifted direction—not because their idea was bad, but because validation uncovered a better way forward. That’s what smart founders do: they listen, adapt, and build what people actually need.

If you’re navigating product validation and want a clear, structured path forward—whether pre-launch or post-funding—let’s talk. This is where ideas become real businesses.

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