Reviewing Insights as Evidence for Validation
As you conduct interviews and tag your notes or transcripts, the Insights view becomes your library of evidence. Each insight represents a real customer perspective, the kind of feedback that helps you confirm (or challenge) your assumptions.
When enough insights start to align with or contradict a Canvas hypothesis, you can use them to validate or invalidate that hypothesis and refine your business model accordingly.
Understanding Insights View
Insights View shows all of your captured insights across interviews. You can filter by creator, intervieweee, or by whether they're linked to Canvas hypotheses.
Linked insights are especially valuable because they connect what you’re learning directly to the assumptions you’ve mapped out on your Canvas. This helps you see which parts of your idea are supported by evidence and which might need to change.
Using Insights to Validate or Invalidate Hypotheses
When reviewing your insights, focus on patterns that emerge over time.
Ask yourself:
- Do multiple insights reflect the same experience or belief?
- Are the details consistent with what my hypothesis predicts?
- Are customers describing the same problem, need, or motivation I expected?
If the answer is yes, that hypothesis may be ready to validate. If feedback consistently tells a different story, it may be time to invalidate or adjust it.
Think of each insight as a small piece of a larger picture. Validation happens when those pieces start to fit together in a clear and repeatable way.
Signs You’re Ready to Validate
- Several different interviewees describe the same behavior or frustration in similar terms.
- Insights begin to narrow in on a specific problem or solution rather than introducing new, conflicting ideas.
- Your evidence feels repetitive not because people are unoriginal, but because you’re hearing consistent confirmation.
If Insights Don’t Support the Hypothesis
Invalidation isn’t failure, it’s progress.
When your evidence contradicts your initial assumptions, it means you’ve learned something important about your customers. Adjust the hypothesis, note what you discovered, and continue exploring.
Often, invalidation leads to a clearer, more grounded understanding of the real problem or audience need.
FAQ: Understanding Validation
How many insights do I need to validate a hypothesis?
There’s no exact number. Look for patterns instead. When insights start to sound similar and reinforce the same theme, it’s a good indicator that your evidence is strong enough to validate or invalidate.
What if all of my hypotheses are invalid?
That’s actually valuable progress. It means you’ve ruled out assumptions that don’t hold up in the real world, which saves time and resources later. Use what you’ve learned to revise your Canvas and form new, evidence-backed hypotheses.
What if I have only a few insights so far?
Keep going. Early on, your goal is exploration, not validation. A few strong insights can point you in the right direction, but validation usually comes after several consistent conversations.
Can one strong interview validate a hypothesis?
A single interview can provide direction, but not confirmation. True validation happens when similar insights come from multiple independent sources.
Key Takeaway
Validation isn’t about hitting a number. It’s about confidence built through patterns, consistency, and clarity. When your evidence paints a clear picture, whether it supports or challenges your assumptions, that’s when real discovery happens.