Hi there -
Here is this week's "1 principle, 2 strategies, and 3 actionable tactics" for running lean…
1 Universal Principle
"Prove demand before you build."
Steve had a grand VR platform idea and 18 months of development mapped out. He was ready to invest $500K building it.
That's when he discovered the 90-day validation framework.
Instead of building first and hoping, Steve flipped the script: Demo → Sell → Build.
The result? 12 out of 15 architects committed to paying $5,000/month before he wrote a single line of code. That's an 80% conversion rate and $180K in pre-launch revenue.
Most founders waste 6-18 months building something nobody wants because they validate backwards. They build features and ask, "Do you like this?" But customers don't know what they want, and building biases your validation because you're psychologically committed to being right.
The 90-day framework validates demand through customer behavior, not opinions. When people put money where their mouth is, you know demand is real.
2 Underlying Strategies at Play
I. Validate systematically, not out of order.
Don't bet everything on one big assumption: "Will I build something enough people will want and pay me enough money to build a viable business?" The 90-day framework breaks this into three distinct phases:
- Problem Discovery (Weeks 1-4): Is this problem real and painful?
- Solution Design (Weeks 5-8): Does your solution create the right outcome?
- Offer Delivery (Weeks 9-12): Will customers actually pay for it?
All before you build anything -- or if you're already built something, avoid going down the build trap.
Each phase validates the next level.
You can't skip phases, but you can iterate quickly within each phase if something's not working. This prevents expensive mistakes and gives you multiple chances to course-correct.
II. Measure commitments, not interest.
There's a huge difference between "I would buy this" and "Take my money now." The framework tests what customers actually do—their current behavior, their response to demos, and their willingness to commit resources.
Steve initially targeted software developers at $50/month based on hypothetical interest. Through systematic validation, he discovered architects would pay $5,000/month for the same technology positioned differently. That's a 100x revenue increase from the same solution.
3 Actionable Tactics
I. Phase 1: Unpack customer forces (Weeks 1-4)
Study what your customers actually use today—not what they say they want, but their current behavior. Run 10-15 systematic customer interviews using behavioral questions.
Instead of asking "What's your biggest problem?" ask "Walk me through your last experience with your current solution." Map the problem forces: what pushes customers away from existing solutions and pulls them toward alternatives.
You need at least 30% of interviews showing high problem intensity—people actively frustrated and looking for solutions.
II. Phase 2: Design outcomes, not features (Weeks 5-8)
Develop your solution framework around transformation, not features. What outcome does your solution create? Test your value proposition with the same people you interviewed.
Create the minimum demo needed to communicate your solution—mockups, wireframes, or video demos that show the outcome clearly. You're not building the product yet, just demonstrating the concept.
Validate with fresh prospects and measure engagement. You need at least 30% showing strong interest to prove problem-solution fit.
III. Phase 3: Create irresistible offers (Weeks 9-12)
Design your complete offer—not just your solution, but how you package it with clear value, pricing, and delivery timeline. This becomes your "mafia offer" that customers cannot refuse.
Test this offer with qualified prospects and ask for meaningful commitment. Not hypothetical interest, but actual money, time commitment, or other resources.
By week 12, analyze your demand validation. An 80% or higher commitment rate from qualified early adopters proves you've validated demand and can start building with confidence.
The beauty of this process is you know exactly what to build—your customers bought your demo, and that becomes your product design spec.
I've spent the last decade curating, mapping, and testing a systematic path to validating startup ideas. Here's what it looks like:
Start with the Business Model Design Challenge, and bulletproof your idea using 7 stress tests and create your personalized 90-day validation roadmap.
Once you complete that foundation, you unlock access to the full Demand Validation Playbook—the complete 90-day implementation with proven interview scripts, demo frameworks, and offer conversion templates.
That's all for today. See you next week.
Ash
Author of Running Lean and creator of Lean Canvas
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P.S.
Check out his week's video:
