The Product Path by Alireza Ghahraman

The Product Path: Betting Everything on Innovation

Many founders start with a belief: “If I build something truly innovative, success will follow.”
It’s a powerful idea—and sometimes true. Disruptive products can reshape entire industries. Think of Spotify redefining music streaming or Revolut changing how we handle banking. These success stories are inspiring because they show how innovation can become the engine of growth.

But here’s the tough reality: research shows that 42% of startups fail because they build a product nobody actually needs. Innovation without clear product-market fit is like inventing a spaceship when your customers just wanted a bicycle. It might be brilliant, but it won’t sell.

In Europe especially, where investors tend to be more risk-averse than in Silicon Valley, traction and evidence of customer demand often weigh heavier than pure innovation. A clever product is exciting, but without validation, it can struggle to get funding.

That doesn’t mean innovation isn’t essential. It is. But innovation alone rarely carries a startup to success. The real challenge is bridging creativity with execution: listening to the market, iterating fast, and ensuring your product solves a real, urgent problem.

In this series, we’re unpacking both sides of the debate. Today’s takeaway: being an “Innovator founder” means more than inventing—it means connecting your invention to actual demand.

💡 Question for you: Do you think startups in Europe have to prove product-market fit earlier than their counterparts in the US to get investor attention?

#Startup #Innovation #ProductMarketFit #Entrepreneurship #EuropeStartups #FounderJourney #VentureCapital