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User research for early-stage startups

Know what to build before you build it.

Astrid Research helps pre-seed to Series A founders test their riskiest product assumptions with real users, so engineering time goes into a product people actually need.

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Assumption map Example
Known
  • Ops managers are the buyer
Test first
  • Ops leads feel this pain every week
  • Teams will leave their spreadsheet
  • Buyers will pay $40 a seat
Low risk
  • Teams already use Slack
Revisit later
  • Admins need SSO on day one

Every validation sprint starts by listing what has to be true for the product to work. We test the top-right corner first, before it becomes code.

Our mission

Help founders build products people actually need.

Startups are pushed to launch fast and scale faster. Speed helps, but speed without learning is expensive.

When a team builds on untested assumptions, the cost shows up later: wasted engineering effort, a roadmap that changes every sprint, features nobody uses, and product-market fit that never quite arrives. By then, organizational debt and sunk engineering time make it hard to change course.

We help teams slow down at the moments that matter. Research is an input to product strategy, used before decisions are made. A usability check at the end comes too late to change direction.

Tied to decisions

Every study answers a product question you have to settle, like what goes in the MVP, what waits, and what to cut.

Built to last

We set up the processes and tools that let your team keep learning from users after our engagement ends.

Sized for startups

Short, focused engagements that fit a startup's runway and pace, with clear recommendations at the end of each one.

Who we help

Pre-seed to Series A teams building SaaS and AI products

When a team can ship a feature in a week, the hard part moves from building to knowing what to build.

Many startups collect customer feedback. Few turn it into clear product strategy and a habit of learning that survives growth. That gap is where we work, at whichever stage you're in.

  1. Stage

    Pre-seed

    You have a thesis and early conversations. You need to decide what the MVP is, and what it isn't.

    Assumption Audit MVP Validation Sprint

  2. Stage

    Seed

    You have early users and more possible directions than engineers. You need evidence to prioritize.

    MVP Validation Sprint Fractional Research Leadership

  3. Stage

    Series A

    Your product team is growing. You need research that keeps up with it, without hiring a Head of Research yet.

    Fractional Research Leadership Research Ops Setup

Not sure where to start?

A 30-minute call is usually enough to tell whether research is the right next step for your product. If it isn't, we'll say so.

Book a discovery call