The problem
You have an idea. It feels obvious. So you start building.
Then you spend three months on a product no stranger has asked for. The problem was never the code. It was that you skipped the part where you find out if anyone actually has this problem.
Why founders get it wrong
Building feels like progress. Talking to people feels slow and scary. So we pick the comfortable work and call it momentum.
Failure mode
You show the idea to friends, they are nice about it, and you treat "that's cool" as demand. Praise is not evidence.
The decision rule
The decision rule
Do not write production code until you have had 20 real conversations with the narrow buyer, and at least a few have described the problem without you leading them.
The plan
- Name one narrow buyer you can actually reach.
- Book 20 short conversations. Ask about their problem, not your solution.
- Listen for the problem in their words. Note who describes it unprompted.
- Ask for one small commitment: money, time, data, an intro, or a signed intent.
- Decide: continue, change the buyer, or stop.
Example
Interview opener
Hi — I'm looking into how small SaaS teams handle [problem]. Not selling anything. Could I ask you three questions about how you do it today? 15 minutes, your call on timing.
Do this today
Do this today
Message five people who might have this problem. Ask for 15 minutes. No pitch.
What good looks like
People describe the pain before you do. A few offer something real to keep talking. You can quote the problem back in one plain sentence.
Checklist
Checklist
- One narrow buyer named
- 20 conversations booked
- Asked about the problem, not the solution
- Tracked who described the problem unprompted
- Asked for one real commitment each time
Evidence and limits
Counterexample
Enterprise products may need fewer but deeper conversations. Low-price consumer products may need more behavioural data than talk. Twenty is a floor for a typical B2B SaaS idea, not a magic number.
Next page
Run the Idea Evidence Score with what you learn.