Do I have a good idea? Does it already exist in the marketplace? Will people buy it?
The Venture Validator (VV) is free, open to all, and designed to help test new ideas over six weekly sessions. Offered each fall and spring, this virtual cohort program guides participants through a hands-on process to determine if there’s a real opportunity.
Through customer discovery, interviews, and competitive market research, you’ll learn who may be interested in your product or service. Using that potential customer data, you’ll build a value proposition that becomes the core of your marketing and begin to set pricing.
Venture Validator gives participants the tools to grow their ideas, avoid common mistakes, and move forward with clarity in creating a business.
Sessions are led by experienced coaches from the Institute for Entrepreneurship, with office hours available for direct support.
Join Us For An Upcoming Cohort
Fall 2026 Details
Sign Up Here
- Oct. 1 - Nov. 5
- 5:00 - 6:00 PM MST
- Thursdays
- Virtual via Zoom
- Free and open to everyone (CSU students and all community members)
Who is the Venture Validator for?
- New Ventures testing ideas with real user feedback.
- Early-Stage Startups seeking to enter the market by identifying target customers.
- Small Business Owners exploring new markets through customer feedback.
- Academic Researchers and Innovators evaluating the commercial potential of inventions based on market insights.
“My top takeaway from Validator is to think in terms of value to customers and not falling in love with the ideas until they have legs.”
- Anonymous, Cohort 27
“As an engineer with limited business knowledge, this course helped me develop the right mindset for understanding a product from a business perspective.”
- Anonymous, Cohort 27
“Great free experience to think more about my idea and learn more aspects about startups.”
- Anonymous, Cohort 27
“Short and sweet with lots of good tips and tricks for a successful business venture.”
- Anonymous, Cohort 27
“The instructor was excellent—always great at speaking and creating an encouraging environment.”
- Anonymous, Cohort 27
“I love the availability outside of class hours, the handouts and the exercises. I also liked being able to practice and receive immediate feedback. Mostly, what I got out of this course was learning ways to gather customer feedback and validate the idea/product.”
-Anonymous, Cohort 26
“Excellent pace. Great inclusivity. Unwavering confidence in the instructors' experience and credibility.”
-Anonymous, Cohort 25
“The things I learned were absolutely invaluable and allowed me to finally create and validate an offer I loved. I'm so grateful to CSU and to the people who created this program. The effort, expertise, and genuine passion that was put into this program is so apparent. It's a fantastic resource and one that I will continue to recommend to other community members as often as I can."
- Heather C., Cohort 22
"My main takeaway is that it is important to get an unbiased answer, not the answer you want to hear."
- David D., Cohort 22
