Start with the problem, not the product.

Most ventures don’t fail because the founder ran out of energy. They fail because the problem they set out to solve wasn’t as real, specific, or urgent as they assumed. The Problem Validator helps you avoid that pitfall before you’ve invested serious time or resources.

Across five short modules, you’ll identify what draws you to a particular opportunity, break a broad area of interest into pieces you can actually investigate, and test your assumptions against real evidence.

You don’t need a polished idea to start. Some students arrive with a specific concept to pressure-test; others bring nothing but curiosity about a space. Both work.

You’ll finish with a problem statement specific enough to bring to the Innovation Pathway or another Innovate@BU program—plus a personalized summary and action plan built from your responses.

Start Today

What You'll Work Through

Learn from people who've done this already.

Throughout the course, you'll hear from founders and alumni who've gone through the validation process themselves. They share how their early ideas evolved, what customer conversations taught them, and how they navigated the uncertainty of exploring something new.