Every time I've skipped validation while building XEdge, I've paid for it later with wasted development time.
Here's the exact process I use now before building anything new:
Competitor gap analysis: Claude

Describe the idea, ask for the top 5 competitors and their weakest reviewed feature. The gap between what exists and what's missing is your opportunity — or proof there isn't one.
Real complaint language: Perplexity

Search for actual user complaints about existing solutions. Not marketing copy — Reddit threads, review sites, support forums. The language people actually use reveals the real pain point.
Demand estimation: Google Trends

Search volume for the problem, not your solution. People search for "how to find AI tools for X" far more than they search for "AI tool directory" — that's the keyword gap that shaped how XEdge is positioned now.
The objection list: Claude

Ask directly: "what would make someone NOT buy this even if they have the problem?" List 5 real reasons. Most founders only think about why people WOULD buy.
The waitlist test

Before building anything new, I test with a simple landing page and waitlist. If people won't sign up for something free, they won't pay for it built.
This process has saved me from building at least 3 features XEdge users never would have used.
Full prompt library at xedge.tech.
What's something you built that you wish you'd validated first?