From Idea to Evidence: How to Vet Your Problem and Solution

You’ve got an idea. Great. So does everyone else.

Before you spend the next 6 months (and $60K) building it out, pause. Here’s the truth: Most failed products don’t die because of bad code—they die because of weak validation.

The path is simple, but not easy:

1. Confirm the problem exists. Interview people, run surveys, check forums. Is this pain real? Does it have urgency?

   
   

2. Test your solution. Build a prototype, launch a landing page, fake the backend. See if people bite.

   
   

3. Prove willingness to pay. Ask for a card. Pre-sell. Run a waitlist. Get commitment.

   
   

Harvard Business Review once noted that "42% of startups fail because there’s no market need." Not product-market fit. Not pricing. Just: wrong problem.

And Y Combinator says it flat out: talk to your customers every week. If you’re not doing that, you’re guessing.

The best founders I know aren’t builders first—they’re problem detectives. Validate early. Build smart. Launch lean.

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Read the Full Series: From Idea to Iteration

This four-part series explores how to move from validating your product idea to building a learning machine that evolves with your users.

·         Part 1: From Idea to Evidence – How to validate your problem, test your solution, and prove willingness to pay

https://www.fullsailpmc.com/post/from-idea-to-evidence

·         Part 2: How Product Managers Help Small Teams Move from Idea to Evidence – Why experienced PMs reduce risk and guide discovery

https://www.fullsailpmc.com/post/how-product-managers-help-small-teams-move-from-idea-to-evidence

·         Part 3: From Evidence to Application – Turning validation into MVP scope, clear priorities, and actionable roadmaps

https://www.fullsailpmc.com/post/from-evidence-to-application

·         Part 4: From Application to Iteration – Using user feedback and data to iterate and grow faster

https://www.fullsailpmc.com/post/from-application-to-iteration

At Full Sail Product Management Consulting, we help founders and teams move from idea to market success by aligning validation, execution, and iteration.