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Validate PRD Demand

Does anyone actually want this, or are you building for an audience of one?

Listen for psychological triggers that instigate decision chains. What people say they want and what they actually do are different data sets.

Awareness Levels​

Where your customer sits determines what you say.

LevelThey KnowYour Job
UnawareNothing about the problemShow the problem exists
Problem AwareThe pain, not the solutionName it better than they can
Solution AwareSolutions exist, not yoursDifferentiate
Product AwareYour product, not convincedRemove the hidden objection
Most AwareEverything, ready to actReduce friction to zero

Intent Signals​

IntentBehaviourContent Strategy
LowBrowsing, not seekingLead with why — make the problem vivid
MediumComparing, could actWhy + how — show the path
HighReady todayHow to start + what to expect

Validation Stack​

Validate in this order. Kill early.

TestMethodKill If...
Problem existsInterviews, observationNobody describes the pain unprompted
People payLanding page, pre-orders, depositsAttention without wallets
You can deliverPrototype, pilot, manual versionYou can sell but can't build
Unit economics workCost vs revenue per customerRevenue doesn't cover cost at 10x

JTBD Interviews​

You understand the job when you can tell the pain-to-progress story better than the person living it. Reflective listening is the critical capability. Talk less than 10% of the time.

Four Moments​

Every switch from old solution to new follows the same arc.

MomentQuestions to Ask
First ThoughtWhen did you realise something needed to change? How did the problem make you feel?
ConsiderationWhat did you try first? Where did you look? What didn't work?
DecisionWhat almost stopped you? Who influenced you? What tipped it?
RealityDid it match expectations? What new problems appeared?

Interview Rules​

  • They talk, you listen. Never lead — "What did you think of X?" not "Did you like X?"
  • Mirror back — "What I'm hearing is..." to confirm understanding
  • When they request features, redirect — "Walk me through when you'd use that"
  • Mark emotional moments. That's where the real job hides

Post-Interview​

  • Which questions got emotion? Those reveal the real job
  • Which got bland answers? Revise or drop them
  • What patterns repeat across interviews? That's your signal

Demand Evidence​

Every validated demand produces a card. This is the typed artifact that flows into Create PRD Stories — no card, no PRD.

FieldSourceRequired
Pain statementTight Five Q1Yes
Named personInterview subjectYes — anonymous OK but must be real
Struggling momentFour Moments: First ThoughtYes
Current workaroundFour Moments: ConsiderationYes
Switch triggerFour Moments: DecisionYes
Hidden objectionSutherland's psycho-logicYes
Awareness levelAwareness Levels table (this page)Yes
Kill signalWhat falsifies this demandYes

The card forces you to name real people with real pain. "We think users want X" is a hypothesis. "Jane spends 3 days per month copy-pasting invoices and almost quit over it" is evidence.

Context​

Questions​

When someone describes their pain unprompted, are you hearing the job or projecting yours?

  • What's the difference between a problem people complain about and one they'll pay to solve?
  • If your interview subjects only give bland answers, is the problem your questions or your product?
  • Which of the Four Moments reveals the most about what your product actually competes with?
  • At what awareness level do most of your prospects stall — and what does that tell you about your messaging?
  • What happens downstream when a Demand Evidence Card has a real named person vs an assumed archetype?