As entrepreneurs, we identify problems in the market, think up potential solutions and jump right into building a product. Sadly, we often skip the most important part of building a startup — customer validation.

As entrepreneurs, why do we make this mistake over and over again?

Our instincts are to focus on tactical work that is within our control. Building a product is heads-down, tangible work that can be done day and night without any outside dependencies slowing us down. We open our laptops and start designing and coding. But, we get so caught up in our passion for building that we lose sight of the target customer’s perspective.

Why should you validate your startup idea before you build?

Many founders brush aside the importance of ea...