The next sunrise found Ethan leading the founders toward the bustling central market Their spells were improving but now they needed something even more powerful real customer feedback In his old world founders often feared talking to users more than pitching to investors But Ethan knew the truth Markets shaped products and this magical world held markets everywhere One only had to listen correctly

The morning air carried the scent of roasted grains melting crystals and the faint ozone of unstable spells Mages bartered with merchants adventurers haggled over mission fees rune artists showed their work by carving glowing symbols on wooden boards Ethan gathered his founders in a circle and spoke plainly Today you learn the magic of customer discovery No assumptions no illusions only real needs

Toren approached a blacksmith who hammered glowing metal into a blade Ethan instructed him to ask what problems heat spells currently caused The blacksmith explained that fire mages overheated metal too easily ruining hours of work Toren listened closely then demonstrated a carefully calibrated heat pulse The blacksmith gasped and said if Toren could maintain that consistency he would hire him weekly Toren’s eyes widened This was his first real customer signal

Nearby Velra approached merchants who sold enchanted cookware They explained that sudden cooling cracked the goods Velra offered a quick test applying her stable cooling potion to one of their cracked pans The pan cooled evenly without shattering The merchants asked her how often she could produce the potion They talked numbers for the first time in her life Velra later whispered to Ethan that she had never imagined someone would pay steady coin for something she thought was a minor trick

Corren and his stone lizard demonstrated delivery loops to shopkeepers carrying small items from stall to stall The lizard’s movement was charming and reliable Shopkeepers began giving Corren trial errands to run It took only minutes before several merchants discussed regular delivery schedules Corren could barely hide his excitement The warehouse training suddenly felt like the beginning of something real

Lira surveyed adventurers preparing for missions She noticed their need for supply coordination They told her that communication between camps was slow and unreliable She summoned her bird creature repeatedly showing a consistent ten second cycle Adventurers stared amazed Some asked if she could deliver quick notes between areas She told them she could train a messaging loop Ethan watched smiling because Lira had found not just a user but an entire segment

Mira walked to a tired looking guard sitting near the entrance of the market His mana flow flickered with instability from overuse She gently cast a pulse that smoothed his energy instantly The guard sighed in relief saying he had not felt so steady in days His fellow guards gathered asking her to treat them too Mira’s hands glowed as she helped one after another forming the beginnings of what could become a structured public service She no longer doubted her value

The rune engraver and crystal tuner paired up approaching shop owners who struggled with flickering lantern crystals They analyzed mana frequency issues and applied temporary stabilizing runes Customers watched their lights brighten and steady They paid in copper coins thanking them repeatedly The pair realized that combining skills created stronger value than working alone

Ethan observed all of this proudly But he also watched something else a group of robed Guild observers lingering in the distance Their eyes narrow their expressions stiff They whispered among themselves Every step ArcSpark took attracted more attention Ethan expected this and was prepared to engage when the time came

By afternoon the founders gathered back in the plaza sharing notes and surprising lessons Toren learned customers cared more about predictability than power Lira learned frequency mattered as much as strength Mira learned people valued safety even more than healing Corren learned that reliability created trust Velra learned that documentation mattered Ethan listened taking mental notes Their progress meant the accelerator was no longer theoretical It was becoming a living engine of innovation

When they returned to the warehouse Ethan asked each founder to present one insight from the day Toren said customers wanted heat control not explosions Lira said they wanted message loops not brute force summoning Mira said care systems mattered more than emergency rescues Velra said consistency beat rarity Corren said repeat routes created demand The rune engraver said synergy created results The crystal tuner said every crystal carried a signature only data could reveal The necromancer sheepishly admitted his skeletal squirrel had scared a child but successfully delivered a coin pouch Ethan said that was progress

Ethan wrote new instructions on the wall Identify target customers Define the value promise Start prototype iteration Document failures Document successes The founders nodded the tasks simple but transformative

As night settled Ethan stepped outside the warehouse watching firelight glow across distant rooftops The city breathed in old patterns of trade and spellwork unaware of the quiet revolution forming inside a dusty abandoned building Ethan exhaled slowly He was building not just startups but a new language for magic itself

He whispered Tomorrow we structure your first pitches
And the world will start to hear you