How to Validate Your Startup Idea: Insights from Leland’s Founder Panel

Entrepreneurship often begins with a spark of inspiration. But the harder question isn’t “Do I have a good idea?”—it’s “How do I know this idea is worth building?”

This was the focus of a recent panel hosted by Leland, featuring John Koelliker (CEO of Leland), Renato Profico (Founder of Parallel, an AI forecasting platform), and Angela Chen (Stanford entrepreneurship instructor and former edtech founder). Together, they shared practical insights on navigating the messy early stages of a startup—from idea validation to customer acquisition and fundraising.

Why Validation Matters More Than Vision

As Angela put it, many founders fall into the trap of “playing startup”—chasing a vision without grounding it in real customer needs. The panel emphasized that the true test of an idea isn’t excitement or potential; it’s whether someone is willing to pay for it. Renato reinforced this point: “Nothing is real until someone’s willing to pay for it.”

The panelists outlined several ways to pressure-test an idea:

• Hunt for desperation. The best startups solve problems with real, painful consequences if left unsolved.

• Pre-sell before building. If customers won’t commit up front, they’re unlikely to buy later.

• Start with a minimum viable version. Test one feature at a time rather than building the entire ecosystem.

• 
  

Case Studies in Validation

Renato’s journey illustrates the power of acting on validated pain points. After scaling Divi from $1M to $450M ARR, he saw firsthand how poor forecasting tools hampered growth. Instead of waiting for the “perfect moment,” he launched Parallel to solve it directly.

Angela’s experience further underscored the importance of meeting real demand. By addressing inefficiencies in campus recruiting, she gained 11,000 paying users within a month—purely through organic growth. Her success highlights that solving tangible problems can create traction without heavy marketing spend.

Validation Before Code

A recurring theme was restraint: don’t write code until you’ve validated the idea through simpler means. Angela described the importance of building a high-quality “scooter” instead of a broken “car.” Delivering value in small, testable increments creates trust and avoids wasting resources on unproven features.

Takeaway for Founders

For early-stage founders, the message is clear: validation isn’t a checkbox; it’s a discipline. By focusing on problems rooted in desperation, pre-selling to early adopters, and resisting the urge to overbuild, entrepreneurs can dramatically increase their odds of building something that truly matters.

The panel reminded us that speed and quality don’t have to be at odds if founders focus on delivering real value. Or as Renato learned the hard way: if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to start, you’ll always be waiting.

Sources

• Leland Webinar: Founder Journeys, Validation, and Growth (Panel with John Koelliker, Renato Profico, and Angela Lee) – Leland

• Parallel Forecasting – Renato Profico’s AI forecasting tool

• Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup. Crown Business.