You’ve polished your pitch, impressed a few investors, and maybe even closed a funding round. But here’s the truth: a great pitch deck doesn’t guarantee a great product. Whatreally matters is what happens after the pitch—when your product faces real users, real markets, and real problems.

As a mentor and consultant to startups across industries, I’ve seen the same mistake repeated over and over: founders fall in love with their idea instead of validating it in the real world. If you’re serious about building something that grows, scales, and solves actual problems, then product validation is your next non-negotiable step.

Let’s explore how to validate your product outside the pitch room—where it truly counts.

This conversation is based on the blog postpublished by Dr. Maria Frangieh on her blog. Read more here.