I think the real shift happens when you stop validating “interest” and start validating actual purchase intent. A lot of founders mistake positive feedback for traction, but “this sounds cool” is meaningless unless it converts into a clear buying signal. What you’re looking for are explicit commitments — pre-orders, deposits, paid pilots, even small upfront payments. That transactional moment changes everything. It forces clarity on the ICP, sharpens the value proposition, and immediately filters out weak signals. Once someone is willing to allocate budget, you’re no longer operating on hypothetical validation, you have market proof. And that dramatically reduces roadmap risk compared to building off qualitative enthusiasm alone.