Standard discovery questions about 'pain points' are too broad. Instead, focus on concrete 'projects on their to-do list.' This reveals their immediate priorities, existing attempts, and the specific 'pull' that will drive a purchase, allowing you to align your solution perfectly.

Startups often fail by targeting abstract concepts like 'markets' or 'personas,' neither of which actually buys products. The fundamental unit of demand is a specific project on a single person's to-do list. Solve for one person's tangible need, then see if that need replicates across many others.

Successful startups tap into organic customer needs that already exist—a 'pull' from the market. In contrast, 'conjuring demand' involves a founder trying to convince a market of a new worldview without prior evidence. This is a much harder and less reliable path to building a business.

Some of the largest markets address needs customers have completely given up on because no viable solution existed. This powerful latent demand is invisible if you only observe current activities. You must uncover the high-priority goals on their mental "to-do list" that they have quit trying to achieve.

When evaluating a startup, don't accept analogous trends as proof of demand. For example, Drift's pitch deck used consumer messaging growth to justify B2B marketing software. A better approach is to find direct evidence of business users already struggling with the specific project the product addresses.

Most problems customers describe are "pain points" they won't act on. You can't distinguish these from real, actionable demand ("pull") through interviews alone. The only true test is presenting a viable solution and attempting to sell it. Their reaction—whether they try to pull it from you—is the only reliable signal.

Pull isn't just a problem; it's a state of active struggle. Think of it as physics: the customer is applying force toward a project, but their existing options are applying a counter-force. Your product's role is to unblock this potential energy, which is often invisible until a viable new solution is presented.

The "Pull Framework" defines demand not by pain, but by observable action. It requires a customer to have an active, unavoidable project, to have already explored existing options, and to find those options insufficient. This is the signal for a product they will eagerly "pull" from your hands, even if it's imperfect.