Shavin Peiries is a writer, designer, and engineer. He writes a newsletter that focuses on guiding founders to validate their ideas fast using audience research.
Last week, I ran a workshop with a friend who wanted to start a knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) business. When I asked him about his target customers' problems, something fascinating happened. He kept describing the solution he wanted to build: "Companies need a knowledge partner, not just arms
"What makes you different from [Big Company X]?" At MidFunnel, that question used to send me into a feature comparison spiral. You know the drill - frantically listing all the things your product does similarly (or slightly better) than the established players. But I’ve learned something recently.
Ever wished you could listen to a conversational breakdown of the "Scratch Their Itch" series instead of reading through all four parts? I've got you covered. Your audio companion to better audience research I've turned my entire four-part Reddit research series into an interactive
Most advice about finding startup ideas sounds a lot like, “Just talk to customers!” as if the perfect problem is waiting patiently for you to ask the right questions. But that advice is way easier to tweet than to actually do. If you've ever stared at your blank
When demand exists but dollars don't Let's play doctor for your SaaS. You've shipped. You've hustled up some traffic. Maybe you even have a nice pile of free signups. And yet… the paid user number isn't moving. This is the
I used to be way too attached to my work. Back when I ran a design sprint agency, every workshop ended with a ritual that made my stomach twist: we'd all stick our solutions up on the wall for everyone to see. Then came the vote. One idea
When most of us start building products, we begin with an idea: "I'll build a better project management tool" "I'll create an AI writing assistant" "I'll make a simpler analytics dashboard" "I'll disrupt [insert any
Praveen was doing Europe like he’d always dreamed — cheap flights, overnight trains, hostels full of strangers-turned-friends. He carried everything in a 20L backpack. No check-ins. No plans. Just a rail pass, a rough sketch of cities to hit, and the thrill of figuring it out along the way Meanwhile,
"Just one more competitor to check..." It starts innocently enough. A quick search here, a comparison there. But before you know it, you're three months deep with 47 Chrome tabs open, caught in an endless loop of research → doubt → more research. Each new tab promising the
You've heard it all, right? "Create a landing page first!" "No, talk to people first!" "Collect emails!" "Get pre-bookings!" "Build an MVP first!" It feels like everyone shouts different advice, leaving you stuck asking, "What are some
I understand why you'd want to copy a successful startup. It feels safe. When you see someone post their $10K MRR milestone on Twitter or share their journey on Indie Hackers, you know there's a real market. Real customers. Real revenue. Why take a chance on