Process & Methodology
Validation
Also Known As
TestingProof of ConceptMarket Validation
Validation is the process of testing assumptions and gathering evidence that a startup idea is worth pursuing, typically through customer interviews, prototypes, and market experiments.
What is Validation?
Validation is the critical phase between ideation and building where venture studios test whether an idea has real potential. The goal is to reduce risk by gathering evidence before committing significant resources.
What Gets Validated
- Problem Validation: Does this problem actually exist? Is it painful enough?
- Solution Validation: Does our proposed solution address the problem?
- Market Validation: Is the market large enough? Can we reach customers?
- Business Model Validation: Will customers pay? Is it economically viable?
- Team Validation: Do we have the right founder/team for this opportunity?
Validation Methods
- Customer Interviews: 20-50 conversations with potential customers
- Landing Pages: Test demand with sign-ups before building
- Concierge MVP: Manually deliver the service to test value proposition
- Smoke Tests: Fake door tests to measure interest
- Prototypes: Low-fidelity demos to gather feedback
Validation Criteria
Studios typically have kill criteria:
- Minimum number of customers expressing strong interest
- Evidence of willingness to pay
- Clear path to customer acquisition
- Differentiated positioning vs competitors
Validation Timeline
Typical validation sprints last 4-12 weeks, after which studios decide to:
- Advance: Move to building phase
- Pivot: Adjust the concept and re-validate
- Kill: Abandon the idea and move on
Example Usage
“After 8 weeks of validation, the team had spoken to 40 potential customers and confirmed strong demand for the product.”