To get unbiased feedback, don't mention your product. Instead, ask prospects about their #1 challenge. If they organically bring up the problem your product solves, you've found a real pain point and strong market pull.

The default state for any new product is zero demand. Instead of trying to create desire, your job is to find the rare, pre-existing conditions where a customer is so urgently blocked on a project that they would be irrational not to buy your solution.

Startups often create positioning that makes logical sense and clearly describes product features. Customers may even nod in agreement and say they understand it. However, if this messaging is based on benefits instead of the root cause of their problem, it won't compel them to purchase, leading to frustratingly polite rejections.

To test for genuine 'pull,' a founder should challenge a prospect's need rather than sell to it. By asking questions like, 'Why can't you just do this with your existing options?' you force the prospect to articulate why their problem is urgent and unsolvable. This 'leaning back' approach makes high-intent buyers sell you on their problem.

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.

Founders mistakenly believe they can manufacture demand through better positioning or features. This is the "supply trap." True demand must exist independently before your product arrives. Your role is to find customers who are already "spring-loaded" (coping or blocked) and unleash their existing pull.

Founders instinctively resort to "push" tactics: adding features, refining sales pitches, and highlighting benefits. This approach often fails because it ignores the fundamental concept of "pull"—the underlying project or motivation a customer already has. Successful products are built around this existing pull, not by trying to create it.

When customers talk, trust their articulation of what they're trying to accomplish (demand) and why their current tools fail (supply problems). However, completely disregard their suggestions for what product or feature you should build (supply they want). That is your job to design, not theirs.

Instead of pitching a solution, create a presentation deck that outlines your core assumptions as bold statements. Use this "story deck" to facilitate a conversation, not a presentation. This prompts customers to agree or disagree, revealing their true pain points and validating your hypothesis more effectively.