A startup can describe an enormous market and still struggle to find a customer. The missing element is often a specific problem that someone is motivated to solve. The National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program emphasizes the path from invention to practical impact. That is useful background for a broader entrepreneurial discipline: test the problem before treating a technical achievement as a business.
Look for the existing workaround
In a hypothetical logistics startup, a founder might begin by asking how a warehouse manager currently handles a recurring exception. A spreadsheet, repeated phone call or manual reconciliation can reveal where effort is already being spent. The conversation becomes more informative when it concerns a recent event rather than an imagined future purchase.
Questions about actual behavior can expose constraints that a product demonstration misses. Who notices the problem? Who pays for it? Who would have to approve a new tool? These may be different people, with different reasons to support or resist a change.
Separate interest from commitment
A positive interview is evidence of interest, not proof of demand. A more demanding test might ask a potential customer to contribute data, schedule implementation work or pay for a bounded pilot. The appropriate signal depends on the product, but it should involve a meaningful commitment rather than polite enthusiasm.
Founders can record what would disprove their current understanding. If repeated conversations reveal that the problem is rare, inexpensive or already well solved, that is valuable information. It can prevent a team from spending months refining a product that solves the wrong issue.
Make the pitch reflect the evidence
A strong pitch explains the problem, the current alternative and what has been learned from customers. Market size becomes more persuasive when it follows that explanation. The best story is the one the evidence can support.
