Falsify, Don't Validate
Validation is a vanity metric for your ego.
It is the active search for data that confirms your existing beliefs ("white swans"). If you look for people who like your idea, you will find them.
While this might feel nice in the moment, it won't help you in the long run.
True science does not prove hypotheses correct; it fails to prove them wrong.
Karl Popper, the philosopher of science, argued that no amount of observation of white swans can prove that all swans are white. However, the observation of a single black swan is sufficient to disprove it.
Falsification is the rigorous attempt to prove yourself wrong. It is the hunt for the "black swan" that destroys your hypothesis.
As founders with limited runway, we cannot afford false positives.
We must aggressively attack our own roadmaps. If an idea survives your genuine attempt to kill it, only then does it earn the right to be built.