How do you validate a new product idea or GTM strategy in early stages?

I've been exploring better ways to validate early-stage product ideas not just from gut feel, but through meaningful market signals.

In your experience:

• How do you go about validating a new product idea or GTM direction?

• Do you lean on user interviews, market data, experiments, or something else?

• What’s worked well (or not so well) for you?

As a product person myself, I’ve always found this step to be the trickiest especially when time and budgets are tight.

I’d love to hear your approach, wins, and lessons and I think others building early products would benefit too.

Let’s trade notes 👇