Most startups fail because they build something nobody needs. Before you build, talk to ten potential customers and ask:
- What is the hardest part of this problem for you today?
- How are you solving it now?
- What does that cost you in time or money?
- What have you already tried?
- If this were solved, what would change for you?
Listen for pain, existing spend and urgency. Those are the signals of a real market.