Concept Validation Course

6–8 gates of brutal truth. Pass them all, earn the Seal. Fail any one, walk away with dignity.

20%

Approval rate

THE VALIDATION GATES

1

Problem Evidence

43% fail here

Upload 10+ customer interviews proving the problem exists and people care enough to pay.

2

Market Size Reality Check

31% fail here

Prove there's a €50M+ addressable market. No TAM/SAM/SOM nonsense. Real numbers only.

3

Unit Economics Stress Test

52% fail here

Show us how the math works. CAC, LTV, churn, margins. If you can't hit profitability by unit 1000, you're done.

4

Competitive Moat Analysis

38% fail here

Why won't someone bigger copy you in 6 months? 'First mover advantage' is not an answer.

5

Team Capability Audit

29% fail here

Can you actually build this? Show relevant experience, technical skills, or proven ability to learn fast.

6

48-Hour Kill or Commit Sprint

41% fail here

Pick your hardest unsolved problem. You have 48 hours to make real progress. We watch you work.

7

Financial Runway Realism

26% fail here

How long can you survive? What's your burn rate? When do you need funding? Hope is not a strategy.

8

Final Board Review

34% fail here

Present to the full DNFF board. They've seen 10,000+ failures. They know every excuse.

THE DNFF SEAL OF RECOMMENDATION

DNFF
APPROVED
#00042

Pass all gates, and you receive the digital and physical DNFF Seal of Recommendation.

This is not a participation trophy. This is a mark of validation that signals to investors, partners, and customers that your startup has survived our gauntlet of truth. It's verifiable, searchable, and carries weight in the Swedish and Portuguese ecosystems.

Each Seal has a unique serial number and QR code that links to your public DNFF profile.

WHAT YOU GET

If You Pass

  • • DNFF Seal of Recommendation
  • • Access to Failure Autopsy Vault
  • • Lifetime R&C Session invitations
  • • Intro to aligned investors
  • • Public listing in Seal Directory

If You Fail

  • • Detailed report on why you failed
  • • Specific recommendations to pivot or quit
  • • Option to re-apply in 6 months
  • • Dignity of knowing before wasting years
  • • No public record of rejection

APPROVED STARTUPS

Nordix AI
Raised €2.4M seed
DNFF #00001
Alfama Labs
€1.2M ARR in 18 months
DNFF #00003
StockSync
Acquired by Klarna
DNFF #00007
Porto Health
Raised €5M Series A
DNFF #00012
Arctic Data
€800K MRR, profitable
DNFF #00018
Tejo Robotics
Raised €3M seed
DNFF #00024
View Full Seal Directory

Ready for the Truth?

Apply for the Concept Validation Course. We'll tell you if your startup has a chance—or if you should walk away now.

Apply for Validation