Our Problem Validation Process
A structured approach to validate market needs before expensive development begins.
Phase 1: Problem Discovery
Teams join our process at different stages of maturity – some with just an idea, others with polished academic research or completed PhDs, and some with existing MVPs.
Regardless of starting point, we guide all teams through the same critical process: go into the world, talk directly to customers, and document their genuine pains.
Upon return, teams must reconcile their initial assumptions against real customer feedback.
Our experience shows that, on average, 70% of teams discover their original concept wouldn’t actually solve customer problems effectively.
More importantly, up to 90% identify a more severe, higher-value customer pain that represents a superior market opportunity.
This pattern repeats consistently across industries and team types, saving organisations millions in prevented R&D waste while uncovering genuine opportunities customers are desperate to have solved.
Key Activities
- Customer interview preparation
- Problem hypothesis development
- Stakeholder mapping
Deliverables
- Customer discovery interviews
- Initial problem statements
- Go/no-go recommendation
Phase 2: Market Validation
At the end of Phase 1, teams must convince us they’ve found a problem worth solving.
Those who cannot are released from the program – not as failures, but with valuable customer discovery skills and improved ability to communicate ideas across their organisation.
For teams that advance, Phase 2 asks the critical question: “Is this problem worth solving?” We methodically examine whether the customer’s problem is urgent enough (is their hair on fire?), who specifically has the problem, and – crucially – whether those with purchasing authority care about solving it.
We make a clear distinction between users who experience problems and managers who pay for solutions.
If decision-makers don’t consider the problem significant, the project doesn’t advance.
We also rigorously assess market size to ensure sufficient ROI potential. Three essential criteria must be met:
- Is the customer genuinely willing to pay?
- Is the problem serious enough to drive early adoption?
- Is the addressable market large enough to justify investment?
Projects that fail these tests are terminated, saving organisations millions in prevented R&D waste.
Key Activities
- Willingness-to-pay customer interviews
- Problem validation
- Market size assessment
Deliverables
- Validated problem statements
- Market size analysis
- Go/no-go recommendation
Phase 3: Solution Development
In Phase 3: Solution Development, teams shift from problem validation to building a compelling business case.
Having confirmed a real problem with customers willing to pay for a solution, teams now structure the commercial opportunity.
We help them craft a clear value proposition that speaks directly to the validated customer pain points.
Teams develop robust revenue models detailing exactly how they’ll extract value from customers.
We guide them through calculating critical metrics: unit economics, customer acquisition costs, customer lifetime value, and margin projections.
By the end of this phase, teams possess all the information needed to approach senior management with confidence, armed with more than just technical specifications.
They can now articulate: “Here’s a serious problem worth solving, here’s our validated solution approach, and here are the numbers that justify investment.”
Most importantly, having been through our structured process, teams can present their case in the commercial language that resonates with decision-makers, rather than the engineering terminology they might have initially used.
This transformation – from technical thinkers to business-case builders – dramatically increases project funding success rates and ensures resources flow to opportunities with genuine market potential.
Key Activities
- Value proposition design
- Revenue model development
- Unit cost modelling
Deliverables
- Solution blueprint
- Business model framework
- Clearly articulated pitch
Program Details
Timeline
15-week structured program with clear milestones and deliverables
Team Size
Support for up to 250 technical teams simultaneously
Commitment
6-20 hours per week from key team members
We’ve successfully deployed this proven process across diverse environments – from multinational corporations seeking competitive advantage through rapid innovation to universities commercialising cutting-edge academic research. Our methodology adapts seamlessly to virtual, hybrid, or in-person delivery, maintaining effectiveness regardless of format. The process has engaged participants from over 40 countries, spanning organisational hierarchies from senior directors with strategic initiatives to interns with fresh perspectives. This inclusivity creates powerful cross-functional alignment within organisations.
Our approach transcends language and cultural barriers to ensure consistent results across global operations. We bring in native-speaking mentors for teams where we can accelerate their transformation through learning in their own language.
The methodology itself represents a significant evolution from its origins. Initially inspired by world-leading lean startup programmes we’ve completely reimagined and designed the methodology to make it relevant and effective in large technical organisations and academic institutions. This specialised focus delivers results that generic innovation frameworks simply cannot match.
Through this refined process, we’ve helped organisations prevent millions in wasted R&D whilst simultaneously identifying and accelerating truly promising opportunities—transforming not just project outcomes, but the innovation culture itself.
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