Forget Wishful Thinking: Finding Real Needs with the PULL Framework – A Harsh Startup Truth

Many entrepreneurs are misled by concepts like 'pain points' and 'market needs,' ultimately losing their way. This author proposes a framework called PULL, emphasizing finding users with urgent problems and insufficient existing solutions, rather than chasing vague desires. The author criticizes the ineffectiveness of 'discovery interviews,' advocating that founders get hands-on experience, immersing themselves in users' workflows to truly understand their needs. He stresses that only actual customer purchases validate assumptions, not relying on so-called 'design partners.' Finally, the author presents a three-step validation method: building a hypothesis using the PULL framework, talking to potential customers, and adjusting and repeating based on the results.