Ensuring your product or service addresses a genuine customer problem is crucial for startup success. Many startups fail by attempting to solve issues that customers don't actually perceive as problems, leading to a disconnect between product offerings and market needs. To avoid this pitfall, follow three main steps: First, identify a significant problem that you are capable of solving—one that is both acknowledged by the customer and substantial enough to warrant a business solution. Second, define this problem using the customer's own language, drawing on insights gathered through thorough customer research. This ensures your understanding aligns with the customer's perspective, making your solution more relevant. Lastly, validate that customers are willing to pay for a solution to this problem. This validation should go beyond mere surveys to tangible evidence of purchase intent, such as prototype sales or interactions with a preliminary checkout process. By prioritizing problems that customers are actively seeking to resolve, your business is more likely to create valuable solutions that meet real market demands.