Research question
A testable learning target that turns vague curiosity into a decision-ready investigation.
convert this into research questions answerable through interviews or usage data.
Exact Terms / Packs / Startup validation
Startup validation vocabularyStartup validation terms for founders who need evidence, not encouragement.
Use these terms when you need sharper customer discovery, idea validation, positioning, or value proposition prompts — the language that pushes an AI past polite approval into actual evidence.
Hypothesis
A belief that can be supported, weakened, or disproved by evidence.
state the hypothesis, supporting evidence, and what would disprove it.
Stage-gate process
A validation flow with explicit entry criteria, evidence requirements, and continue-or-stop decisions.
design this as a stage-gate process with evidence required at each gate.
Riskiest assumption
The belief that would kill the idea fastest if it turned out to be false.
identify the riskiest assumption and the smallest test that could disprove it.
Assumption mapping
A way to rank beliefs by importance, uncertainty, evidence, and next test.
create an assumption map before choosing the next validation step.
Customer segment
A group with shared pain, urgency, context, and current alternatives.
define segments by shared pain, current workaround, urgency, and buying context.
Switching cost
The friction that keeps people using their current workaround or tool.
analyze switching costs: setup, migration, habits, trust, and risk.
Demand signal
Behavior that proves interest, not just polite feedback or compliments.
separate weak interest from demand signals like urgency, budget, repeated pain, and next-step commitment.
Positioning
How the product is placed in a buyer's mind against alternatives.
name the category, target, pain, alternative, and sharp difference.
Message hierarchy
The order of claims, proof, and objections in persuasive product copy.
order claim, proof points, and objection handling top to bottom.