Validate Before You Build: Save Time, Money, and Resources by Testing Early

In the fast-moving world of startups, success begins with answering one fundamental question: What problem are you solving, and who are you solving it for? The best startups don’t begin with code; they start with clarity. They uncover the unmet needs of a well-defined group of people and build solutions that matter to them.

Let’s explore how defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and validating your ideas before you build can save you time, money, and countless headaches.

Great Startups Solve Real Problems

Entrepreneurship is all about problem-solving. As Ash Maurya, author of Running Lean, wisely says, “The riskiest assumption isn’t whether you can build your product; it’s whether anyone will care.”

Think about game-changing companies like Airbnb and Uber. They succeeded because they tackled specific pain points: finding affordable short-term housing and accessing convenient transportation. These companies didn’t build first and hope for the best. They deeply understood their target customers and designed solutions that resonated with them.

But solving a problem isn’t enough. You need to make sure it’s worth solving. As startup expert Steve Blank puts it, “Startups are not about building a product; they’re about finding customers.” You’ll only find customers by engaging with them and truly understanding their needs—don’t rely on guesses.

If your company is two, three, or even more years into its journey and you're still trying to find your customers, there’s a problem—and it’s a big one. Many startups fall into the trap of focusing too much on their product and not enough on their customers. Maybe you assumed, “If we build it, they will come.” Or you thought your product could appeal to everyone. Here’s the hard truth: if you don’t know your customers, you can’t build something they’ll care about. From day one, your priority should have been identifying your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)—the people who most need what you’re building.

Your Ideal Customer Profile: The Foundation of Success

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) isn’t just a vague idea of who might buy your product—it’s the bullseye audience most likely to use your product, benefit from it, and champion it. By focusing on this group, you can prioritize your resources, refine your solution, and validate faster.

Take Slack, for example. They didn’t launch with grand ambitions to replace email for the entire world. Instead, they started with a narrow audience: small, agile tech teams that needed better ways to collaborate. This laser focus on their ICP helped Slack create a product that resonated deeply, earning passionate early adopters who spread the word.

How to Define Your ICP:

• Talk to potential users. Ask about their challenges, workflows, and pain points.
• Look for patterns—what common problems keep coming up?
• Identify key traits like demographics, behaviors, and motivations.

By understanding your ICP, you can avoid the trap of trying to build for “everyone,” which often leads to building for no one. As Michael Margolis puts it, “Focus on the few who need your solution most; they’ll guide you to the many who need it next.”

Validate Before You Build: The Key to Smarter Startups

Jumping straight into building is risky. It’s like driving without a map—you may reach a destination, but it might not be the right one. Early validation ensures you’re solving the right problem for the right people before committing significant time and resources.

Why Validate Early?

1. Avoid Waste: Building a product nobody wants wastes time and money. Early validation uncovers user needs, ensuring your efforts align with market demand.
2. Save Money: It’s cheaper to fix a problem during brainstorming or prototyping than after a full launch.
3. Boost Confidence: Validation gives you evidence to back your idea, helping you attract investors, team members, or early customers.

Real-World Examples of Early Validation

• Dropbox: Before writing a line of code, Dropbox created a simple explainer video to demonstrate their concept. The result? A waitlist of excited early adopters that proved their idea was worth pursuing.
• Zappos: Founder Nick Swinmurn validated online shoe shopping by manually listing shoes from local stores and fulfilling orders himself. This low-cost test confirmed demand before scaling operations.
• Smart AI Insight for Jira: Railsware tested their AI tool with no-code prototypes. In weeks, they confirmed interest and refined the idea—saving months of unnecessary development.

How to Validate Like a Pro

1. Talk to Your Customers Use platforms like LinkedIn or industry groups to connect with your ICP. Ask about their biggest challenges and frustrations.
2. Test Multiple Ideas Don’t get attached to your first idea. Create simple mockups, wireframes, or even sketches, and see which ones resonate most.
3. Focus on the Core Problem Build a bare-bones prototype that addresses your audience’s main pain point. Avoid polishing the details too early.
4. Iterate Based on Feedback Share your prototype with potential users. Ask questions like: “What excites you most? What’s missing? What would make this indispensable?”

From Validation to Traction

Validating your idea before you build isn’t just a step in the process—it’s the difference between building something people love and building something they ignore. As Michael Margolis says, “The goal is to get to the truth about what your customer needs as quickly as possible.”

So, before you dive into development, take a step back. Define your ICP, talk to your audience, and test your ideas. By doing the hard work early, you’ll set yourself up to create products that truly solve problems, excite customers, and drive success.