BIP#9: How I Validate New Products Step by Step

About this episode

In the latest episode of Building in Public, I take you along to Prague and provide deep insights into the strategic development of Unicorn Bakery. The past months have been characterized by intensive work on realigning our business model – a process that led me to completely rethink the foundation of our community.

The Path to Product Validation Through Intensive Conversations

My approach was deliberately very direct: I conducted numerous conversations with founders and executives from various stages of development. From fresh startups in the early founding phase to established companies – each conversation partner brought a different perspective that helped me understand the real challenges facing our community.

The goal was clearly defined: to find out which problems really concern our community and how I can develop formats and solutions based on these insights. I wasn't interested in superficial opinions, but in deep insights into the daily challenges faced by founders and managers.

Pattern Recognition as the Key to Success

Through the various perspectives of my conversation partners, I began to recognize clear patterns. This pattern recognition became the foundation for developing new formats. It became apparent that certain challenges occur across industries and that there's a real need for specific solution approaches.

Based on these insights, I developed concrete formats that directly address the identified needs. The approach was always practice-oriented: What do founders and executives really need, and how can we implement this in a format that creates real value?

New Formats: From Dinner Events to Management Events

Based on the conversations I conducted, various new formats emerged. Exclusive dinner events are part of this, as well as special management events. These formats didn't arise by chance, but are the direct result of needs that I repeatedly encountered in conversations.

The dinner events provide a more intimate framework for exchange between founders, while the management events address specific challenges faced by executives. Each format has its own character and targets different needs within our community.

Planning a Major Event with Continuous Optimization

Parallel to the smaller formats, I'm also working on planning a larger event. What's special about it: I continuously integrate new insights from my conversations to create the greatest possible value for all participants.

This iterative approach means that the event isn't planned statically, but continuously evolves. Every new conversation, every new insight flows into the planning. This creates an event that's truly tailored to the needs of the participants.

Learnings for Other Founders

My approach to product validation can be transferred to other founding projects. The key lies in not developing in isolation, but actively seeking conversation with the target group. Only through direct contact and honest feedback can products and services emerge that are truly needed.

Pattern recognition is a decisive factor here: individual opinions can be misleading, but when certain topics repeat across multiple conversations, that's a strong signal for genuine need.

The strategic development of Unicorn Bakery shows how important it is to regularly question and adapt your own business model. This is the only way companies can remain relevant long-term and create real value for their community.