Problem
Define the real customer problem.
← All idea support
Test before you overbuild
Find out what the idea actually needs to prove.
Go deeper into the customer, market, competition, offer and first version before committing serious time or money.
The question this answers
Who wants this, what should I offer and how can I test whether demand exists?
EVIDENCE
Know what the idea needs to prove and how to prove it.
Best for
This is likely the right level if...
- You are serious about the idea.
- You need proper customer and competitor research.
- You do not know how to shape the offer or what people might pay.
- You want evidence before spending serious time or money.
- You want to test demand before you overbuild.
What you get
- 2-week engagement
- 2 structured working sessions
- Focused customer + market research
- Competitor analysis
- Customer-language signals
- Offer direction
- Pricing references
- MVP recommendation
- Validation experiment
- First-customer route
- DEV Validation Map
- 14-day action plan
Bounded research and preparation between sessions, with no unlimited access or revisions.
Session 1
Set the research question properly.
Customer
Primary customer, user and potential early adopter.
Customer context
When and why does the problem occur?
Current behaviour
What do they do today?
Current alternative
What happens without this business?
Market and competition
Direct, indirect, alternative behaviour and doing nothing.
Assumptions
What must be proven?
Research questions
What needs understanding before Session 2?
Between sessions
Focused research between sessions
Approximately 5 to 10 useful competitors or alternatives where appropriate.
- Customer language in real conversations, reviews, forums and communities
- Competitor proposition, customer, visible pricing, journey, strengths, gaps and positioning
- Useful market signals without collecting noise
- Pricing references for related solutions and outcomes
- Realistic places to find initial adopters or customers
Session 2
Turn evidence into an offer and a test.
- 01
Who should be tested first?
- 02
What outcome are we offering?
- 03
What does the customer actually receive?
- 04
Why choose this over alternatives?
- 05
What price or range deserves testing?
- 06
What is the smallest credible first version?
- 07
What real-world validation should happen?
- 08
Where are the first realistic users or buyers?
- 09
Continue, change or stop?
Real-world validation
Test demand without defaulting to a full build.
The right experiment depends on the idea. It does not automatically require an app, a full website, a logo or incorporation.
Customer interviewsWaitlistEthical fake-door testManual concierge versionDirect outreachPre-saleLanding pagePrototype demoService pilotSmall group test
DEV / EVIDENCEPersonalised working output
DEV Validation Map
READY TO USE01
PROBLEM
02
CUSTOMER / EARLY ADOPTER
03
CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR
04
COMPETITOR MAP
05
MARKET SIGNALS
06
CUSTOMER LANGUAGE
07
VALUE PROPOSITION
08
OFFER DIRECTION
Tangible output
DEV Validation Map
Approximately 8 to 12 useful pages or screens where appropriate.
01PROBLEM02CUSTOMER / EARLY ADOPTER03CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR04COMPETITOR MAP05MARKET SIGNALS06CUSTOMER LANGUAGE07VALUE PROPOSITION08OFFER DIRECTION09PRICING REFERENCES10MVP RECOMMENDATION11TOP ASSUMPTIONS12VALIDATION EXPERIMENT13SUCCESS SIGNALS14CHANGE SIGNALS15FAILURE SIGNALS16FIRST-CUSTOMER ROUTES1714-DAY ACTION PLAN
You should leave knowing
The next move should be clearer than the starting point.
- Who to target
- What problem to lead with
- What to offer
- How to talk about it
- What price range to test
- What first version to build
- How to test demand
- What evidence would change the plan
- What to do during the next 14 days
DEV Idea Validation
Know what the idea needs to prove and how to prove it.
15 minutes to understand what you are working through and whether DEV can actually help.