The flowchart is nice to refer to as a checklist. The pattern of failure which includes steps 3. Founder builds a product that solves The Problem. (And it r

The flowchart is nice to refer to as a checklist. The pattern of failure which includes steps 3. Founder builds a product that solves The Problem. (And it really does!) 4. Founder fails to make enough sales, and the company shuts down in 6-24 months, when the founder runs out of patience or money. ...can largely be avoided by focusing not on the identified problem but by real potential customers that have the problem. It's not the problem in isolation that you're solving, though it's necessary but not sufficient. Interacting with actual people will let you know if there's any hindrance to adoption. Rinse, repeat and address each hurdle faced by potential customers. The mistake is simply thinking "if you build it, they will come" where it is a real solution to a real problem. Sometimes there's a problem that precludes adopting the solution which is a bigger problem for the potential market, and it may be a good to consider pivoting. Go beyond understanding the product/solution and understand your customers (to be).