Free template · Validate demand

One-page validation summary

A single page that records the evidence for and against an idea so you, a co-founder or an adviser can make a clear decision.

Use when: Use it at the end of a validation sprint, when you need to decide whether to build, change direction or stop.

VALIDATION SUMMARY: [IDEA NAME]
Period covered: [START DATE] to [END DATE]
Prepared by: [NAME]

CUSTOMER
Target customer: [SPECIFIC ROLE AND CONTEXT]

PROBLEM
Problem statement: When [TRIGGER], [CUSTOMER] struggles to [TASK], causing [CONSEQUENCE].

WHAT WE DID
Interviews held: [N]
Experiments run: [e.g. landing page, fake door test, concierge pilot]
Traffic or reach: [VISITORS, MESSAGES SENT, EVENTS ATTENDED]

EVIDENCE FOR
- [e.g. 6 of 9 interviewees described the problem unprompted]
- [e.g. 4 currently pay for a workaround costing [AMOUNT]]
- [e.g. [X] waitlist sign-ups or pre-orders at [PRICE]]

EVIDENCE AGAINST
- [e.g. buyers and users are different people]
- [e.g. most rank it below three other priorities]

RISKIEST REMAINING ASSUMPTION
[ASSUMPTION]
How we would test it next: [TEST, COST, TIMEFRAME]

ROUGH ECONOMICS (illustrative)
Expected price: [PRICE]   Gross margin estimate: [%]
Likely acquisition channel: [CHANNEL]   CAC guess: [AMOUNT]

DECISION
[BUILD MVP / RUN ANOTHER TEST / NARROW SEGMENT / PIVOT / STOP]
Why: [TWO OR THREE SENTENCES]
Next review date: [DATE]

Replace every [BRACKETED] field. Delete any line that does not apply to you.