Validated learning is a small but powerful idea in The Lean Startup.
Best of all, it has applications beyond just building a startup.
What’s the idea? Well, the goal is to get actual data to direct your new business rather than just trust your intuition or what people “say” they want.
The way you do that is by picking an idea you want to test, working out how you can measure if it works and then making the simplest version to check if your assumption is right. Basically, it’s all about measuring what customers do, not what they say they’ll do.
How does this apply beyond just a startup? Let’s say you want to get fit. Most people set a big goal (like going to the gym 3 times a week) and then are surprised when they fail to start a new habit. Instead, you could think of a smaller test (can I do daily pushups? What about a 7-minute HIIT workout via YouTube?) you work out how to measure that (Do I do it each day) and then check if it happens. If not, you can adjust to a different solution.
Just like how successful businesses complete validated learning loops faster than the rest, completing a habit loop faster will help you find something that actually works for you.