ValidateFirst
Helping builders validate ideas before writing a single line of code
Stop guessing. Start validating.
AI lowered the barrier to building, but it didn't lower the barrier to figuring out what people actually need. Most ideas fail not because the code was bad, but because nobody validated the demand. ValidateFirst automates the validation workflow for solopreneurs and builders. AI-powered market research, demand signal analysis, competitor mapping, and customer interview scripts. All in one place, so founders can make informed bets instead of expensive guesses.
From vision to a product people can trust
Fogpipe partnered with Daniel Grahn to turn his vision for ValidateFirst into production-ready software. Daniel is the mastermind behind the product and its validation methodology. Our job was to set the technical foundation and move fast without cutting corners. In a world where AI makes it easy to generate code, the real challenge is making that code reliable. We brought end-to-end type safety from database to API contracts to the client. TypeScript everywhere. Strict types. Schema-driven contracts. This means fewer bugs, faster iterations, and a codebase that practically corrects itself when something drifts. Infrastructure orchestrated with OpenTofu. CI/CD through GitHub Actions. The kind of foundation that lets a solo founder ship with confidence.
A validation platform built to last
ValidateFirst launched as a polished, credit-based SaaS where builders can research and validate ideas through a structured four-phase process. AI agents with web search analyze markets, scan communities for demand signals, and generate actionable validation plans. The technical foundation we built together means Daniel can iterate quickly, add new AI capabilities, and scale the platform without accumulating the kind of tech debt that kills solo projects.
What we built
Tools & technologies
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