How we've helped founders
avoid expensive mistakes.
Real scenarios, constraints, and outcomes. These are some of the problems we have tested, founders we've guided, and the products we have validated.
Before we build anything, we validate, and before we validate, we listen. Every founder comes to us with a vision, and our job is to figure out if that vision holds up under scrutiny. Sometimes it does, other times, it needs adjustment or a complete pivot.
The SaaS Founder That Almost Built the Wrong Product
Who Was This For
A technical founder with 10 years in enterprise software who wanted to build an HR analytics platform for mid-sized companies, he'd seen the problem firsthand and was ready to invest $30K into development.
The Real Problem
He assumed HR managers were the buyers but they weren't. Finance and operations teams controlled software budgets, the product he wanted to build solved HR's problem, but didn't address the concerns of the people who would pay for it.
What Constraints Existed
Tight budget and a six-month runway before he needed traction. He couldn't afford to build the wrong thing or spend months on research.
Strategy We Chose
We ran targeted interviews with 25 decision-makers at mid-sized companies: HR managers, CFOs, and operations directors. Within two weeks, the pattern was clear, finance cared about cost visibility and ROI tracking. We repositioned the product to speak to finance first.
What We Learned
He pivoted, built the MVP with finance teams in mind, and closed his first three pilot customers within two months of launch.
The E-Commerce Brand That Needed Proof of Demand
Who Was This For
A non-technical founder launching a direct-to-consumer wellness product. She had a background in marketing, a clear vision, and $15K to get started. She wanted a beautiful, feature-rich e-commerce site from day one.
The Real Problem
She didn't know if people would buy the products, she had demand assumptions based on social media engagement, but no one had pulled out a debit/credit card yet. She was about to spend her entire budget on a website before proving anyone wanted the product.
What Constraints Existed
Limited budget, no technical co-founder, and a competitive market with established brands. She needed proof of demand before committing to a full build.
Strategy We Chose
We built a bare-bones MVP in three weeks - a single product page with simple checkout, basic email collection, with no fancy features. Then we ran a limited launch to her Instagram audience. The goal was to see if people would click 'buy.'
What We Learned
People bought. But they hated the checkout flow, so we fixed it, added ingredient breakdowns (what users actually wanted), and relaunched. Conversion rate doubled.
The Service Marketplace That Started Too Broad
Who Was This For
Two co-founders building a marketplace for freelance services, they wanted to serve designers, developers, and marketers all at once. They believed a broad platform would attract more users faster.
The Real Problem
Marketplaces are hard, you need supply and demand simultaneously. Trying to build three marketplaces at once meant spreading resources thin. They also had no clear differentiator against Upwork and Fiverr.
What Constraints Existed
Bootstrapped with $30K. No external funding or existing user base. A very crowded competitive landscape.
Strategy We Chose
We pushed them to focus. After research, we found small e-commerce brands were underserved for product photography and branding designers. We repositioned the entire platform around that one niche.
What We Learned
800 users in the e-commerce design niche within two months. Strong retention. Six months later they expanded into developer services — with proof, traction, and a playbook.
The Mobile App Competing in a Saturated Market
Who Was This For
A solo founder with a wellness and meditation app idea. She knew the market was crowded (Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer), but believed her approach was different.
The Real Problem
Every wellness app claims to be different. Most existing ones aren't, users have zero reason to switch from apps they already use unless the new product offers something they genuinely can't get elsewhere.
What Constraints Existed
Self-funded with $20K. Couldn't afford a long development cycle or expensive user acquisition. Needed to find an underserved segment fast.
Strategy We Chose
We ran deep research into wellness app users. We found a specific group that felt ignored: people dealing with chronic illness who needed meditation tailored to pain management and medical anxiety. We repositioned the entire product around that audience.
What We Learned
500 downloads in three weeks which was better-than-industry-average retention. Three months later, she raised a seed round, investors loved the focus and traction in an underserved segment.
The Founder Who Pivoted Before Building Anything
Who Was This For
A founder who wanted to build a productivity app for remote teams. He'd worked remotely for years and felt existing tools were too complicated.
The Real Problem
During user interviews, we found something unexpected. Teams didn't want another productivity tool, they were drowning in tools. The problem wasn't a lack of features but was tool overload and fragmented workflows.
What Constraints Existed
The founder had quit his job to work on this full-time. He had savings for six months and couldn't afford to build something people didn't want.
Strategy We Chose
We didn't build the productivity app, instead, we explored the real pain point: integration and workflow automation. We ran a second round of research focused on that problem. The response was strong.
What We Learned
He came to us with one idea and left with a completely different product. He's now building an integration platform for remote teams. He didn't waste six months and his savings on the wrong product.
Run Your Idea Through Our Process
These are the conversations that matter.
We help you test before you buil or pivot before you waste resources.
Run Your Idea Through Our Process →