Are You Solving the Right Problem? Validation on a Startup Budget

Startups often move quickly into building solutions before fully validating whether the underlying problem is significant, frequent, commercially viable, or even worth solving in the first place. This session explores how founders and early-stage teams can apply practical market research and human-centred design techniques to reduce risk, validate ideas early, and make smarter product decisions without needing large research budgets. The session combines lean research approaches with core design thinking principles to help founders pressure-test assumptions before investing significant time, money, or engineering effort. The session will focus on: Are You Solving a Real Problem? Problem Validation Before Solution Validation Research on a Startup Budget What Customers Say vs What They Do Validating Commercial Viability A few practical frameworks for reducing product risk and making smarter decisions with limited time and budget.