The importance of validating

If you've been following along, we've finally reached the point where I secured the funding that allowed me to get started!

But that was only the beginning. The next step was validation.

Building a startup takes much more than wanting to help people or designing something useful. It means building a business. It involves people, responsibilities, planning, and, above all, accepting that you can't rely solely on your intuition.

You can't assume that because you believe in your product, people will automatically want it, that it will improve their daily lives, and that everyone will be happy.

It sounds obvious—almost too obvious to mention—but in reality, it's important to say this out loud.

I was approached by YES!Delft, a startup incubator I had already become familiar with while spending time in their spaces during the TU Delft Impact Contest. They invited me to join their Validation Program and, after being selected, I began another incredible learning journey, one where validating your assumptions with stakeholders is at the heart of everything you do.

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I learned an enormous amount, but the biggest lesson wasn't about business models or customer interviews. It was about changing my mindset and, for the first time, truly thinking like an entrepreneur.

Putting yourself out there. Asking questions. Reaching out for introductions. Talking to people with more experience. Building a network of people who are willing to support you and share what they've learned. During that period, I started meeting people everywhere I could, trying to learn from every conversation. And I realised that this is something you should never stop doing.

Looking back, the Validation Program was just the beginning. A few months later, we officially joined YES!Delft as members, becoming part of a great network we can rely on!

Thank you for reading,

Alessandra