How To Make Better Product Decisions Before, During, and After You Build

​Part of Twin Cities Startup Week 2026, September 14–18.

​It’s easier than ever to turn an idea into something real. But moving faster doesn’t necessarily mean you’re building the right thing. Before founders invest in prototypes, engineering, manufacturing, or AI-generated code, there are critical decisions that determine whether a product has a real chance of succeeding.

​This panel brings together product builders across physical products, medtech, SaaS, and AI-built consumer technology to explore what actually deserves your attention before and during the build. How do you know what customers really need, especially when they can’t articulate it themselves? Which assumptions should you validate before investing resources? What should AI accelerate, and where does human judgment become even more important? And how do you make product decisions today that won’t create expensive problems when it’s time to scale?

​Attendees will leave with a clearer way to think about the decisions between idea → validation → build → scale, regardless of whether they’re building software, hardware, or something in between.

​Speakers:

• ​Rick Beddoe - Founder, Steam Factory

• ​Raghu Velagaleti - Enterprise Engineering Leader & Founder

• ​Becca Poindexter - MedTech Leader and Fractional CTO

​Getting here on Wednesday. Parking, Basecamp, lunch, and the rest of the day: tcstartupweek.com/wednesday