Your Innovation Journey
The same 7-stage journey ventures follow inside the Asgard platform — from a raw spark to a go-to-market plan
Not all innovation is the same
The failure mode isn't choosing the wrong innovation type — it's applying the wrong method to it. Most ventures live in the validate-first 90%. A rare 10% are technology-led breakthroughs where customers can't validate what doesn't exist yet. Find your mode →
Core · Incremental
Existing products, existing customers. Lean Startup, A/B testing. Risk: market.
Validate-firstAdjacent
New applications or markets. Design Thinking + research. Risk: market & execution.
Validate-firstTransformational
New categories from technical breakthroughs. Technology Readiness Pipeline. Risk: technical → market.
Build-firstPortfolio model: Nagji & Tuff (HBR). Build-first / TRP from Build First, Market Later (Farhad Abtahi).
Spark
Capture and clarify the idea
Customer & Problem
Who hurts, and why now
Solution & Value
What you build, and the value it creates
Business Model
How it makes money
Market & Competition
Size, rivals, and the forces at play
Validation & Risk
Test the riskiest bets before you commit
Plan & GTM
Roadmap, OKRs, and go-to-market
Pro Tips
Start with Why
Begin with the Golden Circle to clarify your purpose and motivation
Time-box Activities
Set clear time limits for each phase to maintain momentum
Involve Stakeholders
Include diverse perspectives throughout the journey
All Methodologies
Learning Pathways
Choose a guided path based on your goals and experience level
Startup Fast Track
Perfect for entrepreneurs and early-stage startups looking to validate and launch quickly
- Golden Circle
- Lean Canvas
- Assumption Mapping
- Rapid Prototyping
Corporate Innovation
Structured approach for established organizations driving internal innovation
- SWOT Analysis
- Design Thinking
- Business Model Canvas
- Stage-Gate Process
Product Development
End-to-end product innovation from concept to market launch
- Jobs-to-be-Done
- Design Sprint (GV)
- Rapid Prototyping
- Kano Model
Custom Journey
Create your own pathway by selecting methodologies that fit your specific needs
- No steps chosen yet
Compare Methodologies
Select up to 3 methodologies to compare side by side
Should you validate first — or build first?
Answer five questions. This is the self-assessment from Build First, Market Later, designed to tell you whether your innovation calls for validation-led methods or the Technology Readiness Pipeline.
1. Is your primary uncertainty technical or market-based?
2. Can customers evaluate it before it's complete?
3. What are your iteration costs?
4. What are you innovating?
5. What's your competitive context?
Build First is not permission to ignore physics. If you violate fundamental constraints or solve problems that don't exist, you will fail.
Readiness levels
Two quick self-assessments — gauge your technology, then your whole innovation, and walk away with a clear next step.
Technology Readiness Level
How mature is your technology — from a basic principle observed in the lab to a system proven in the real world? Tick the milestones you’ve hit and get your TRL, plus the exact next one to target.
Start the TRL assessment → 6 dimensions · readiness mapInnovation Readiness Level
Technology is only one axis. Score customer, solution, market, business model and team too — and see a readiness map plus whether you should build first or validate first.
Start the IRL assessment →Not sure which mode you’re in? Take the build-first / validate-first self-assessment →