From Idea to Action: Customer Discovery with a Pre-Seed Tourism Startup

By Favour Patrick | Categories: Workshop

“Her mentorship was both engaging and highly interactive. She provided clear direction and support at every stage of product discovery.” – Sofiia Stoian, Founder

Our mission is clear: to help early-stage founders refine their vision and navigate the complex path from concept to product–market fit. One of those journeys was with Sofiia Stoian, a founder with a bold idea for tackling the challenges of group travel planning and transparency in travel services.

Like many early-stage entrepreneurs, Sofiia faced the hurdles of defining the real problem, understanding her audience, and figuring out where to begin. Questions around customer discovery, competitive analysis, and monetization stood in the way of clarity. What she needed most was a structured path to move from uncertainty to direction.

Through the ESTIEM Growing Together Mentoring Program, Sofiia worked closely with Kasia Sadowska. Together, they explored customer insights through surveys and interviews, identified transparency as the core pain point, and crafted a clear roadmap for testing solutions. The process highlighted opportunities such as embedding an AI agent into WhatsApp to simplify group trip planning a cost-effective starting point with real potential for scale.

This collaboration did more than refine an idea; it built confidence. Sofiia went on to pitch her vision at events, collect valuable feedback, and gain recognition for her progress. The shift from uncertainty to clarity shows what’s possible when the right guidance meets determination.

For us at Build Future Habits, this story is one of many that fuel our mission. The real impact lies in helping founders move from uncertainty to momentum, from scattered ideas to focused action. Every founder’s journey begins with questions. Our role is to help transform those questions into clarity, momentum, and meaningful results. And if you’re shaping an idea of your own, we’re here to help you take that first step with confidence.