User research “in the wild” can, like an actual safari, lead to surprises and learnings. If you’re an early-stage startup founder, learning velocity is critical. Being able to test and reject or double-down on hypotheses to help you establish if you’re building the right business and product for the right customer and market is essential. When you’re in the wilds of pre-product market fit and navigating the idea maze , you need ways to orient and learn whether you’re going down the right path – or about to hit a dead end. While The Mom Test book by Rob Fitzpatrick is an oft-referenced and useful resource, I thought I’d share a bit about how I’ve approached getting feedback on early explorations as a founder for CodeYam and over the previous decade while working at technology startups. This is a practice I’ve honed over time and I’m still constantly learning, improving, and experimenting.…