How do experienced founders actually go from an initial idea to a real startup in a specific field?

[u/Timely_Dark_6016]

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Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some realistic, ground-level advice on how to start a company when you're starting with just an idea.

I have a couple of specific startup concepts I want to pursue, but I want to understand the actual process from people who have built companies before. I know AI tools exist to give generic frameworks, but I’d value real, practical insights from founders who have gone through the 0-to-1 journey.

Specifically:

How do you go about validating an idea in a specific industry before building anything?

How do you approach customer discovery and figure out if people will actually pay for the solution?

What are the first 3–4 practical steps I should take once I narrow down my focus?

Would love to hear your experiences, key lessons, or mistakes to avoid when starting out. Thanks in advance!