Founder Workshop: Sell before you build

​Building a product has never been easier. Knowing whether anyone wants it has not gotten any easier. This session is about doing the second part first.

Asbed Kassis will cover how early-stage founders validate demand before they build: finding the customer who feels the problem most, pinpointing the assumption that could sink the business, and testing it quickly and cheaply. He will also talk about turning early conversations into commitments, carrying what you learn into your first product, and what stands out to investors when anyone can ship a prototype.

Asbed Kassis is CEO of Alena Solutions, a Los Angeles digital product studio he has led since 2017 and a 2023 Inc. 5000 honoree. Before Alena, he led product analytics at Red Bull Media House, and his career includes product roles at Warner Bros. He has been an angel investor for over a decade and is a USC Marshall MBA alum.