Finding Demand for Your Idea
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 6:00 PM PDT – 8:00 PM PDT
Ansir Innovation Center · 7670 Opportunity Rd #255, San Diego, CA 92111, USA
Hosted by Founder Guide
Most founders start with a solution and then go looking for someone who wants it. That search can take a year, and the answer is usually no. Demand runs the other direction. It already exists. Someone out there is working on a problem they care about, using an option that isn't good enough. Find that person and you're not convincing anyone of anything. They pull. This is a working session on how to find them. We'll cover: Why demand exists outside your solution, whether or not you ever build it How to write a demand and buyer hypothesis that names the outcome your buyer wants, not the features you want to ship Where to find those buyers, and how to get someone on the phone this week How to run a sales conversation as research, so a "no" still teaches you something The signals that tell you this person has the demand you think they have, and the ones that just mean they're being polite What to do when they don't have the demand your are looking for, and how to turn that conversation into a sharper hypothesis instead of a dead end You'll leave with: A written hypothesis A short list of people to reach The questions to ask when you get there. Bring an idea you've been sitting on. Or come without one and borrow somebody else's. Going to Startup Weekend San Diego in November? Treat this as your prep. The weekend gives you one block on Saturday morning for customer conversations. Show up already knowing who to call. About your host: Todd Bashor has spent 25 years building products, co-founded and sold a company, and learned the hard way what works and what doesn't when it comes to finding demand. He runs Founder Guide and loves the San Diego startup scene.