AI is useful for expanding an idea into assumptions you can inspect. It cannot tell you whether real people will change behavior or pay.
Turn the idea into falsifiable claims
Ask who has the problem, how often it occurs, what they do now, what switching costs exist, and what evidence would prove the idea wrong.
Use AI to widen the search
Generate competitor categories, interview questions, edge cases, and alternative explanations. Treat the output as a research checklist, not market truth.
Collect behavioral evidence
Interview people about the last time the problem happened. Ask to see the spreadsheet, inbox, purchase, or workaround. Past behavior is stronger than enthusiasm for a hypothetical product.
Test the riskiest assumption cheaply
A manual service, clickable prototype, paid pilot, or narrow landing page can answer a specific question before a full build begins.
Keep a decision log
Record what you believed, what happened, and what changed. Validation is not a one-time verdict; it is a disciplined reduction of uncertainty.
