Validation · Step 1 of 5
Prove someone wants this before you build it.
Talk to real people, test the problem, and turn every conversation into evidence. So you don't spend months building the wrong thing.
Saves time
Interview scripts, a hosted survey and community post templates are ready on day one. Your first survey can be live the same afternoon.
Saves money
Find out the problem is weak before you pay for design, development or ads.
Solid footing
Every claim you make later traces back to what real people said, with their exact words kept as quotes.
The 6 activities in this step
Each one hands its answer to the next, so you never start from a blank page.
Activity 1
Founder-Market Fit
Check why you are the one to build this.
The usual way
Skipped entirely, or answered with gut feeling.
With ViableBrand
Answer questions about your insight, the people you can reach and how long you can keep going. You get scores for each, the advantages you can lean on, and each gap paired with the Hub activity that fixes it.
You walk away with: An honest read of your edge, your gaps and your personal runway.
Activity 2
Find Your People
Find where the people with this problem actually gather.
The usual way
Hours scrolling forums and LinkedIn, hoping to stumble on the right people.
With ViableBrand
Describe the problem and the co-pilot searches the web for the communities, threads and search phrases where your people talk about it. Track who you've reached in a circle of five, from first contact to advocate.
You walk away with: A list of places to find your people, the words they use, and a tracked circle of early contacts.
Activity 3
Gut Check / Mom Test
Ask about what people did, not what they might do.
The usual way
Writing your own survey questions, which usually lead the witness and collect polite compliments.
With ViableBrand
Five Mom Test questions are built in. You get a hosted survey link to share or email, responses flow back automatically, and the co-pilot sorts real signal (money spent, workarounds built) from polite noise.
You walk away with: A shareable survey, analysed responses, red flags, quotes and a verdict: validated, mixed or weak.
Activity 4
Hallway Hangout
Put a rough version in front of a niche community.
The usual way
Polishing a prototype for weeks before anyone sees it.
With ViableBrand
Pick what you're showing (a mockup, a landing page, a video) and get a post ready to share. Paste the replies back and the co-pilot turns them into a fix list, counting how many people raised each point.
You walk away with: A ranked fix list built from real reactions, tracked round by round.
Activity 5
Contextual Interview
Watch people deal with the problem where it happens.
The usual way
Notes in a notebook that never get compared or revisited.
With ViableBrand
A structured log for what you saw, the exact words used, the workarounds and the surprises. The co-pilot pulls out the jobs people are trying to get done and the patterns across interviews.
You walk away with: Jobs-to-be-done, pain points and key quotes from real observation.
Activity 6
Solution Snapshots
Test your proposed solution in five good conversations.
The usual way
Pitching the idea to friends who say they love it.
With ViableBrand
A three-step guide to running the conversations and a place to record each one, so it counts as evidence.
You walk away with: Recorded reactions to your solution, ready for synthesis.
What comes in
Just your idea. This is where the journey starts.
What goes forward
Once one test is done, the co-pilot writes a Research Synthesis: core insight, themes, quotes and likely users. It feeds your ICP, Journey Map, competitive work, launch copy and pitch deck.
Start with evidence, not assumptions.
Your first Blue Ocean report is free, with no card needed. Every step of the journey, including this one, lives in the Founders Hub.
Start freeValidation · Foundation · Financial · Launch