Validated Learning is the Process of Demonstrating Progress in a Startup

The primary purpose of a startup is not to make money, serve customers, or build products. The primary purpose of a startup is to learn how to build a sustainable business. This learning can be validated empirically by running experiments that test the core hypotheses of the business. This process is called validated learning.

Validated learning is a rigorous, scientific approach to entrepreneurship. It is a way of measuring progress when traditional metrics like revenue and profit are not yet meaningful. Instead of focusing on vanity metrics, validated learning focuses on actionable metrics that demonstrate cause and effect.

The core of validated learning is the Build-Measure-Learn Feedback Loop. By iterating through this loop as quickly as possible, a startup can systematically de-risk its business model and increase its chances of success.