Well, the first thing to accept is that no matter how much research you do, your product is just a theoretical solution to a human need or want that you hope will result in business success.
The hypothesis is your guess at why a particular solution will succeed. Once you succeed, and people are buying and using your product it’s no longer a hypothesis.
It’s a fact.
Most founders start with their idea. But an idea doesn’t tell you whether customers have the problem you’re solving or if they want the outcome you’re delivering. This makes ideas a terribly fragile and risky starting point.
Start with a hypothesis instead.
A hypothesis codifies what you don’t know into a theory you can test. With a hypothesis, you’re looking to make observations and see if you’re right or wrong. In case this seems like semantics, here’s how a hypothesis is fundamentally different from an idea:
- An idea is something a founder falls in love with and grips tightly; a founder guides an idea.
- A hypothesis is something a founder tests and holds loosely; customers and evidence guide a hypothesis.
Happy building…