The Documented Workaround
When a practitioner publishes their manual workflow — the steps they cobbled together to do something a product doesn't do yet — they've written a product spec. They've also confirmed the demand.
Validation
The Phone Call
Desk research tells you what tools exist. Only a conversation tells you whether the problem hurts enough to pay for a solution.
When to Stop Searching
Eight nights of research. Dozens of search queries. One real lead. The next step isn't another search.
Hypothetical Validation
Asking people if they like your idea feels like research. It isn't. There's a hierarchy of signals, and most founders stop at the wrong level.