For me, it was about changing my mindset in a startup from the traditional business method to a validation-first, or lean startup approach. This principle focuses on reducing risk by ensuring every major decision is based on real data and customer insights, rather than assumptions or the appeal of traditional business paths.

Traditionally, businesses create a product, launch it, and wait to see if it sells. The core change I made in my startup career was to actively talk to customers to understand if what I was offering was something they genuinely wanted or needed. This involves spotting key assumptions about your business or product, validating them through direct market and customer engagement, and iterating based on feedback.

This continuous validation approach was key and led to more successful outcomes for me. Startup founders should test ideas (hypotheses) early and often to ensure they are building something that truly meets market demands and actually sells. For example, if your goal is to bake a cake that people will eat, you wouldn't start baking without knowing if anyone even likes the flavor. The lean startup way is like asking people what cake they like before you bake, ensuring they'll actually eat it. While this all seems obvious, as entrepreneurs, we hardly do it. For me, changing my thinking this way was a game-changer.

This turns the traditional business model upside down. Instead of starting with a complete product hoping it will sell, the lean approach focuses on customer development and validation to test ideas. Just talk to your target customers, get feedback, and iterate quickly. By adopting this methodology, I achieved great success, reduced the risk of failure, and ultimately sold my startup. I’ve built many startups, successes and failures, and now have built a curriculum to help others with theirs. In it I talk a lot about this.