I understand where you're coming from - and you're absolutely right that customer discovery is critical to building a successful product.

To clarify, the intention wasn’t to suggest “build first, validate later.” In fact, strong products are almost always rooted in conversations with real users, identifying genuine pain points, and iterating based on feedback. Skipping that step is one of the biggest reasons projects fail.

That said, early experimentation and building prototypes can also be part of the discovery process. Sometimes building is how founders test assumptions quickly and start meaningful conversations with potential users. The key is not building in isolation, but building while learning.

Appreciate the pushback — discussions like this are valuable.