Social Saturday, September 12, 2026

Demand in the Real World

Learning What Your Market Is Telling You

Four founders, each at a different stage, joined a conversation about how demand appears in the real world — what people say, what they do, who buys, who opens doors, and what the market teaches them.

Shared by Michele Williams, Michelle Muncy-Silva, Vanessa Chang, and Noemi Reyes
Hosted by Beth Lyons and Michelle Muncy-Silva for She Leads AI

Use this playbook to identify the evidence you already have, map the people involved in demand for your offer, set up a way to keep learning from the market, and design your next test.

Source — Social Saturday Founder Day transcript, September 12, 2026. Developed by She Leads AI.

1

Find the Demand Signal

Identify your strongest evidence of demand. State what it supports and what remains unproven.

Demand Evidence Ladder

1Problem evidencePeople experience the problem. This supports investigation. It does not prove they will act.
2Conversation evidencePeople discuss the problem, add information, or make relevant introductions.
3Interest evidencePeople take a small action, such as joining a waitlist or agreeing to test.
4Behavior evidencePeople invest meaningful time, effort, access, or reputation in the offer.
5Purchase evidenceSomeone pays or formally commits resources.
6Expansion evidenceA current customer requests more, renews, expands use, or refers others.

Founder Vignettes

Michele Williams

Michele described an approximately two-month pilot for an organization with a workforce-learning need. People connected with the client then asked about additional courses. Those requests supplied evidence of interest in expanding the work.

MS.Works · 46:19–59:45
Michelle Muncy-Silva

Conversations narrowed Data Parity AI toward healthcare transcription. Michelle also found that some organizations recognized the problem without prioritizing it enough to act. Those conversations informed her search for better-aligned buyers.

Data Parity AI · 1:04:03–1:20:08

Apply It

Evidence
Describe the strongest action or event.
Source
Name the person or organization that took the action.
Investment
Record the attention, time, access, reputation, money, or other resource they committed.
Evidence supports
State what the evidence confirms.
Still unproven
State what the evidence does not yet support.
Completion standard

State your strongest demand evidence and the specific claim it supports.

2

Map the Demand System

Identify the people who use, purchase, or connect others to your offer. Select one group for the next test.

UserIdentify the person who experiences or uses the offer. Record the problem, its urgency, the current alternative, and what could prompt a change.
PurchaserIdentify the person who controls or approves the purchase. Record the desired outcome, buying risks, and sources of information.
ConnectorIdentify people or organizations with relevant trust or access. Record whom they influence and the introduction or action they could provide.

Founder Vignette

Vanessa Chang

Vanessa identified older adults as Bernie’s primary users and adult children or caregivers as potential purchasers. Financial planners, senior-living professionals, physical therapists, and other trusted advisers could introduce the service. The potential purchase and referral roles extended beyond the person using Bernie.

Bernie · 1:22:47–1:43:57

Build the Demand System

RecordUserPurchaserConnector
Person or group
Problem noticed
Action trigger
Where they gather
Who they trust
Requested action

Select the group that provides the shortest credible path to stronger demand evidence.

Priority group
Reason
Completion standard

Identify one user, one purchaser, at least two credible connectors, and a priority group.

3

Build the Demand Loop

Connect visibility and outreach to an observable action, then use the response to revise the next test.

Show → Ask → Observe → Adjust → Repeat
ShowPlace the offer, problem, or point of view where the selected audience can encounter it.
AskRequest one observable action, such as an introduction, a product test, or a purchase.
ObserveRecord behavior separately from compliments and general interest.
AdjustChange the audience, message, offer, channel, or ask when the evidence warrants it.
RepeatRun the loop again using the new information.

Founder Vignette

Noemi Reyes

Noemi described releasing products before she considered them finished, inviting beta testers, and refining features using feedback. She also identified a separate visibility gap — her work had stayed private, and she planned to develop a stronger public presence.

Consulting, Magister, and Semestar · 1:45:58–2:00:34; 2:05:14–2:06:12

Check Capacity

Confirm that you can respond if the test succeeds.

Delivery capacity
Record available capacity for new clients, users, or pilots.
Response time
Record how quickly you can respond to interest.
Volume limit
Record how many new clients or users you can absorb.
Operational constraint
Record constraints that could affect the test.

Build One Demand Loop

Show
Audience
Ask
Observable signal
Likely adjustment
Next repetition date
Completion standard

Describe one complete loop, identify capacity limits, and set the next repetition date.

4

Run the 30-Day Demand Test

Define one test before you begin. Set an observable evidence threshold and a review date.

Complete the exercise the hosts did not reach during Founder Day.

Demand question
State the specific question the test must answer.
Audience and specific group
Select User, Purchaser, or Connector. Name the group.
Primary channel
Choose one channel that can answer the demand question.
Requested behavior
Define the action you will ask people to take.
Evidence threshold
Define the observable result that will count as a meaningful signal.
Review date
Set the date when you will review the evidence.

Review the Evidence

ContinueEvidence supports another cycle or greater investment.
ChangeEvidence supports the opportunity, but the audience, offer, message, ask, or channel needs revision.
StopEvidence does not support additional investment in the current test.
☐ Continue ☐ Change ☐ Stop
Next action
Completion standard

Complete every test field. At the review date, record the decision and next action.

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CREATE 2026

The Founder Day conversation continues at CREATE 2026, October 16–18 in Salt Lake City.

Gather With Us
Anne Murphy

Anne Murphy

Founder & CEO, She Leads AI and Empowered Fundraiser. This playbook was built from the September 12 Founder Day session with the She Leads AI agent team. Social Saturday is no cost for all women, every week. Recordings and full builds are a She Leads AI Society member benefit.

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