Market Research — Evidence That Supports a Decision, Not a Vibe

The difference between good market research and expensive research theatre is this: good research starts with a decision and ends with falsifiers — the specific conditions that would reverse the recommendation.

Four Modes (Matched to What You're Deciding)

Quick scan — filtering an idea before investing more time
Output: market picture, 3–5 notable players, 2–3 risks that would kill the idea, and a one-line verdict. No full sizing model. Just enough to decide whether to dig deeper.

Decision memo — real go/no-go on a segment, market entry, or pricing tier
Output: layered market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM with formulas), segment comparison on spend / urgency / alternatives, competitive map, auditable evidence pack, and a recommendation that explicitly names what would change your mind.

Launch validation — before committing engineering cycles to a product or feature
Output: behavioral demand signals (search trends, review mining, job posts, waitlist data), pricing probe via Van Westendorp or WTP interviews, JTBD patterns from customer conversations, data gaps identified, and a pilot plan with go / conditional / no-go thresholds.

Expansion study — entering a new geography, segment, or adjacent category
Output: how global TAM filters down to what's actually reachable in your target market, regional competitors and substitutes, local constraints (distribution, regulatory, payments, localization), and a staged rollout with milestones.