Validate business model through work experience before building product
Gain pattern recognition by working at or consulting for companies using the business model you want to replicate. Spending years seeing what works across multiple companies provides validation and playbook knowledge that de-risks your own product. Observe market timing signals like increasing company adoption of the model.
When to use
When considering a novel business model or go-to-market approach without proven experience
Don't do this
Building based on theory or single case studies without deep operational experience in the model
2 Founders Who Did This
Worked 2 years at open source company reaching 32,000 GitHub stars, then consulted for a year specifically on open source marketing before building Postiz
Spent 8 years as CTO at startups understanding how hard it was to find quality developer content, then validated through freelance writing before starting the agency