Before You Build: Validate Your Product Idea in the AI Era

Today, with AI, you can turn an idea into a working product faster than ever.

You can prototype in hours, build an MVP in days, and ship features that once required an entire team.

But building fast and building the right thing are two very different things.

The real challenge is not simply Can we build it?

It is:

Are we building the right product, for the right audience, solving a problem that actually matters — and can ultimately become a profitable business?

Every day, new apps, SaaS tools and AI products are launched. Yet many struggle to gain traction — not because the technology is bad, but because they were built around assumptions rather than a real, meaningful problem.

Founders and builders often start with a solution, feature or exciting technology and only later ask whether people actually need it, who needs it most, and whether the problem is important enough to pay to solve.

In this interactive workshop, we’ll slow down the rush to build and focus on what comes first: understanding the problem, the audience and the opportunity.

We’ll discuss, practise and apply a simple framework to one critical question:

Are you actually solving the right problem?

What You’ll Learn

This workshop is part of the Product Building Series. Together, the three workshops provide a practical path from idea → product scope → product structure, helping you move from concept to a product with a clearer reason to exist.

In this workshop, we will explore:

• Why being able to build quickly doesn’t mean you should build immediately
• Why many product ideas fail even when the technology works
• The difference between a solution idea and a real problem
• How to identify the right audience and the right situation
• How to assess whether a problem is meaningful enough to build a product around
• A simple framework for validating your assumptions before investing heavily in development

You’ll also see real examples of how changing the definition of the problem — or the audience — can completely change the product and its business potential.

What You’ll Leave With

During the workshop, you’ll complete a Problem Definition Canvas for your own product idea.

By the end of the session, you will have:

✔ A clearer definition of the problem your product solves
✔ A better understanding of who your target users actually are
✔ A stronger connection between problem, audience and business opportunity
✔ A structured Problem Definition Canvas you can use to refine your idea
✔ A practical framework you can apply before building future products or features

Who This Workshop Is For

This workshop is ideal for:

• Founders and startup builders
• People working on a new app, SaaS or AI product
• Indie hackers and makers
• Early product teams exploring a new product or feature
• Anyone who can now build faster with AI — but wants to make sure they are building something people actually need

No technical background is required.

Workshop Agenda — 120 Minutes

1. Welcome & Introduction
AI changed how quickly we can build. It didn’t change the need to build the right thing.

2. Why Many Product Ideas Fail
Common mistakes when moving too quickly from idea to solution.

3. The Problem Validation Framework
A simple structure for identifying the problem, audience and context.

4. Real Product Example
How redefining the problem can change the entire product and its business potential.

5. Practical Exercise
Use the Problem Definition Canvas to analyse your own idea.

6. Discussion & Insights
Share discoveries, challenge assumptions and learn from the group.

7. Wrap-Up & Next Steps
Turning a validated problem into a stronger product direction.

What to Bring

Bring a product idea, feature idea, startup concept or problem you are considering solving.

It doesn’t need to be fully developed. You’ll apply the framework directly to your idea during the workshop.

We kindly ask participants to arrive about 10 minutes earlier, as the workshop will start promptly at 18:30.

Format

• Interactive workshop
• Small-group discussion
• Real product examples
• Practical hands-on exercise

After the workshop, participants are invited to continue the conversation during an informal networking session at Sisi Bar on the top floor, where we can exchange experiences, discuss product ideas and enjoy the beautiful views over Barcelona together.