This week on The AI Report, Liam Lawson is joined by Peter, a startup coach and product strategist who’s helped dozens of early-stage founders avoid one of the most costly mistakes in tech: building before validating.
Peter explains why most startup ideas fail not because the tech doesn’t work, but because there’s no real demand. He shares the “sandwich method” he uses to get honest, useful feedback in discovery calls, and how founders can avoid building in a vacuum.
They also explore the role AI is starting to play in validation workflows—and why it can’t replace true customer insight.
Also in this episode:
• Why product-market fit is not a feeling
• How to structure conversations to get real signal
• The biggest lies founders tell themselves during early validation
• How to use AI tools in discovery without getting misled
• Why humility might be the most valuable founder skill
If you’re building anything new—especially in AI or SaaS—this episode is a sharp, tactical reset.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Misunderstanding Product Validation
(01:15) Who Peter Works With and Why
(03:40) The Sandwich Method for Better Discovery
(06:05) What He Learned From YC and Startup #1
(08:12) Founders as Pattern Matchers
(10:33) Detecting and Avoiding Bias
(13:00) Identifying Real Market Demand
(15:18) The Feature Fallacy
(17:50) AI Tools vs Product Necessity
(19:36) Where AI Can (and Can’t) Help
(21:44) Advice for Founders on Day Zero
(23:50) Why Peter Keeps Coaching
(26:04) Where to Find Him
