Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the market validation and commercialization terms we use most.
Market Validation
The process of confirming real customer demand for a product idea before investing in building or manufacturing it, using evidence like competitive data and customer signals instead of assumptions.
Market Research
The general gathering of information about an industry, audience, or trend. Broader than market validation, which tests demand for a specific product idea.
Product-Market Fit
The point at which a product solves a real problem for a specific, identifiable group of customers who are willing to pay for the solution.
Commercialization
The process of bringing a validated product to market — covering positioning, pricing, distribution, and go-to-market sequencing.
MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
The smallest version of a product that still delivers enough value to test with real customers and gather validation data, without building every planned feature first.
TAM/SAM/SOM
Total Addressable Market, Serviceable Addressable Market, and Serviceable Obtainable Market — three narrowing measures of market size used to size an opportunity realistically.
Competitive Intelligence
The systematic analysis of competitors — their products, pricing, and positioning — to find real gaps and differentiation opportunities in a market.
Go-to-Market Strategy
The plan for how a product will reach and be sold to its target customers, including positioning, channels, and launch sequencing.
Patent vs. Trademark
A patent protects an invention or its functional design. A trademark protects a brand identifier like a name or logo. Inventors often need patent guidance, but a patent alone does not validate market demand.
Customer Discovery
The practice of talking directly with potential customers to understand their real problems and pain points, used as evidence in market validation rather than relying on internal assumptions.
Customer Pain Statement
A one-sentence description of a specific buyer, their situation, and what they need: “My invention is for [a specific person] who experiences [a specific frustration] during/when [a specific situation] and needs [a specific outcome] without [the current workaround].” It forces specificity before you spend money assuming you have it.
Demand Signal
Evidence that a stranger, with nothing to gain by being kind, wants what you're building — unprompted problem descriptions, requests to buy before launch, or substantive pushback from people who care about the problem. Likes and compliments from friends and family are not demand signals.
Validation Prompt
A structured AI prompt built from four parts — context, problem, task, and focus — used to surface real buyer frustrations from reviews and forums instead of vague opinions. A specific prompt produces market information; a vague one produces noise.
Read more in AI for Inventors: The One Skill That Changes Everything →
Ready to validate your own idea?
Answer 15 questions. Get instant clarity on whether your idea is worth pursuing.
Get Your Validation Assessment (Free)