# How to Validate a Customer Problem Before Designing the Solution

A solution is only valuable in relation to a real customer situation. Validate who experiences the problem, when it occurs, what it costs, how people respond today and why the current alternatives remain insufficient.

## The short answer

Define the customer and context, describe the problem without prescribing a solution, investigate recent real events, measure the consequences and current response, compare patterns across relevant participants and decide whether the evidence justifies solution testing.

## Problem validation begins with a customer situation

Problem validation tests whether a defined group experiences a meaningful difficulty in a particular context. It examines the trigger, desired outcome, obstacle, consequences and current response. A problem is not validated because people understand your description; it becomes credible when relevant customers independently describe the situation, consequences and action.

## Write a testable problem assumption

Template: When **[defined customer]** is trying to **[desired outcome]** in **[specific situation]**, they encounter **[obstacle]**, leading to **[meaningful consequence]**. Today they respond by **[current behaviour or alternative]**.

State in advance what would weaken the assumption: a rare situation, minor consequences, adequate current alternatives, no responsible buyer or no action.

## Customer problem validation process

1. Define the commercial decision.
2. Choose the initial customer group.
3. Write the problem assumption without the solution.
4. List competing explanations.
5. Set evidence criteria.
6. Recruit relevant participants.
7. Interview about recent real events.
8. Compare patterns and differences.
9. Examine consequential behaviour.
10. Proceed to solution testing, refine, investigate or stop.

## Problem validation interview questions

Ask about the last time the situation occurred, the trigger, desired outcome, workflow, obstacle, consequences, current response, alternatives tried and conditions for change. Avoid asking whether participants would use the proposed solution before understanding the present situation.

## Evidence criteria

A stronger problem recurs in the intended segment, produces describable consequences, prompts action or spending, remains insufficiently served by alternatives, has identifiable ownership and buying conditions, and occurs among customers who can be reached.

Do not reduce validation to a vote. Evidence quality depends on participant relevance, specificity, consequences and the decision. Keep problem evidence separate from reactions collected after showing a solution.

## Independent problem validation

The standard project includes target definition, approximately 30–40 suitable prospects for client approval, recruitment, 20 interviews, transcripts, evidence analysis, a written report, recommended changes and a BUILD, CHANGE or KILL recommendation.

Fixed price: €2,900 + VAT. Typical timeline: approximately 2–4 weeks. Larger and multi-segment projects can be scoped separately.

[See services and pricing](https://testbeforeyoubuild.com/market-validation-services-pricing/) or [submit your idea](https://testbeforeyoubuild.com/#contact).

## Author

Dr. Kari Jääskeläinen is an entrepreneur, business leader and consultant with experience in market validation, technology commercialisation, business development and sales. He has worked on around 200 commercialisation and consulting projects and has made approximately 2,000 sales calls a year.

[Read about Dr. Kari Jääskeläinen](https://testbeforeyoubuild.com/about-kari-jaaskelainen/).

## Sources

- Harvard Business School Rock Center: [Customer Discovery Basics](https://entrepreneurship.hbs.edu/Documents/Session%20Summary/HBSRock-Customer-Discovery-Final.pdf)
- U.S. National Science Foundation: [NSF I-Corps](https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps)
- DeJonckheere and Vaughn (2019): [Semistructured interviewing in primary care research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6910737/)