Phase 4: Validation

Deprecated: The preseed workflow has been renamed to seed. All preseed functionality is now available under bootspring seed. See the Seed Workflow for current documentation.

Duration: 1-2 days

Validate your assumptions with real potential users before building.

Overview#

The Validation phase tests your preseed documents against reality. This is your opportunity to discover flaws in your thinking before investing weeks or months in development.

Why Validation Matters#

80% of startups fail because they build something nobody wants. Validation dramatically reduces this risk.

Validation Types#

1. Problem Validation#

Does the problem actually exist and matter?

2. Solution Validation#

Does your proposed solution resonate?

3. Audience Validation#

Are you targeting the right people?

4. Pricing Validation#

Will people pay what you're asking?

5. Differentiation Validation#

Do your differentiators actually matter?

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Problem Validation#

The Mom Test#

Use "The Mom Test" framework: Ask questions that even your mom couldn't lie to you about.

Bad Questions:

• "Do you think this is a good idea?" (They'll say yes to be nice)
• "Would you use this?" (Hypotheticals are unreliable)
• "Is task management a problem?" (Leading question)

Good Questions:

• "Tell me about the last time you felt overwhelmed by tasks"
• "What did you do about it?"
• "How much time do you spend on task management daily?"
• "What have you tried? What worked? What didn't?"
• "How much does this problem cost you?"

Interview Guide#

Prepare a structured interview guide:

Interview Targets#

What to Look For#

Strong Problem Signals:

• They've actively tried to solve this
• They've paid for solutions
• Emotional response when describing problem
• Specific stories and examples
• Quantified impact ("I lose 3 hours daily")

Weak Problem Signals:

• "Yeah, that's kind of annoying"
• Can't recall specific examples
• Haven't tried to solve it
• Problem is vague or abstract
• No emotional weight

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Solution Validation#

Show, Don't Tell#

Create materials to share your solution:

1. One-pager: Export your VISION.md summary
2. Mockups: Create simple UI mockups (Figma, even paper)
3. Demo video: 2-minute Loom explaining the concept

Validation Questions#

After sharing your solution concept:

• "What's your initial reaction?"
• "What questions do you have?"
• "What would make this better?"
• "What's missing?"
• "Would this solve the problem you described?"
• "What concerns would you have?"

Landing Page Test#

Create a simple landing page to test interest:

Measure:

• Conversion rate (email signups)
• Traffic sources that convert
• Bounce rate by segment
• Scroll depth and engagement

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Audience Validation#

Test Your ICP#

Your Ideal Customer Profile is a hypothesis. Test it:

Segment Prioritization#

After interviews, rank segments:

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Pricing Validation#

Van Westendorp Method#

Ask these 4 questions:

1. At what price would this be so cheap you'd question quality?
2. At what price would this be a bargain?
3. At what price would this be getting expensive?
4. At what price would this be too expensive?

Direct Pricing Test#

"If this existed today at $15/month, would you sign up?"

Pre-Sale Validation#

The strongest validation: Can you get someone to pay before you build?

• Offer discounted "founder" pricing
• Collect payment with "shipping in X weeks"
• Refundable deposits

If people pay before the product exists, you've validated demand.

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Differentiation Validation#

Competitor Comparison#

Show competitors alongside your positioning:

"Here's what exists today:

• Linear: Team-focused, $X/user
• Height: AI features, complex
• Your solution: Developer-first, AI prioritization

What stands out to you about our approach?"

Unique Value Test#

State your UVP and gauge reaction:

"We're building the only task manager that reads your code to understand priorities."

• "That's interesting!" → Explore more
• "How would that work?" → Good, explain
• "I don't need that" → Wrong audience or weak UVP

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Tracking Validation Results#

Validation Scorecard#

Create a scorecard for each validation area:

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Iteration Loop#

Based on validation results:

If Problem Not Validated#

Go back to Phase 1 - you may have the wrong problem.

If Solution Not Resonating#

Refine in Phase 3:

If Audience Wrong#

Update your ICP:

If Pricing Wrong#

Adjust pricing:

Then re-validate with new assumptions.

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Validation Completion Criteria#

You're ready to move to Seed when:

• 10+ problem interviews completed
• >70% strong problem signals
• Solution concept shared with 15+ people
• >60% positive solution reactions
• Pricing tested with 10+ people
• ICP refined based on interviews
• Major objections addressed in PRD
• Pre-sales or waitlist signups (optional but strong)

Moving to Seed#

Once validation is complete:

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Validation Resources#

Interview Templates#

• The Mom Test book
• Customer Interview Script

Survey Tools#

• Typeform
• Google Forms
• Tally

Landing Page Tools#

• Vercel + Next.js
• Carrd
• Framer

Mockup Tools#

• Figma (free tier)
• Excalidraw
• Paper sketches

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Common Validation Mistakes#

1. Confirmation Bias#

Hearing what you want to hear. Solution: Record interviews and review objectively.

2. Too Small Sample#

5 interviews isn't enough. Aim for 10-15 minimum.

3. Wrong Audience#

Interviewing friends instead of ICP. Solution: Find strangers in your target market.

4. Leading Questions#

"Don't you hate when X?" Solution: Ask open questions.

5. Pitching Instead of Learning#

Selling your solution instead of listening. Solution: Ask questions, stay curious.

6. Skipping Validation#

"I know this is a problem." Solution: Validate anyway.

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Related#

• Phase 3: Refinement
• Seed Workflow
• Problem Validation Guide
• Preseed CLI Reference