ValidationEmerging Pattern
Pitch strangers instead of friends to get unbiased validation signals
Cold email strangers in your ICP - if you are truly solving a pain point strangers will invest their time.
When to use
During customer discovery when you need honest feedback.
Don't do this
Relying on your network for validation feedback.
2 Founders Who Did This
1
Sprigby Ryan Glasgow
Deliberately cold-emailed product managers at YC companies rather than leveraging his extensive personal network from five startups to avoid bias in validation
Result:Got unbiased signal that the problem was real and burning, not just polite interest from friends
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Gusto (ZenPayroll)by Tomer London
Called strangers found on Yelp (laundromats, convenience stores, veterinary clinics) rather than relying on personal network
Result:Learned that enterprise prospects showed polite interest but no urgency, while SMB owners were desperate — shaping the entire company direction
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