Entrepreneur Validates Demand and Builds a Six-Figure Consulting Powerhouse
Instead of launching her business based on assumptions, tech consultant-turned-founder Jacqueline DeStefano-Tangorra chose to put her idea to the test — literally. By offering her services on Upwork to gauge willingness to pay and repeat demand, she earned $33,000 in her first month and later scaled her business into a six-figure-monthly revenue data and AI consulting firm.
Testing Over Guesswork: A Smarter Path to Entrepreneurship
In her twenties, DeStefano-Tangorra built deep expertise as a Big Four technology consultant advising enterprise clients on data, analytics, and AI solutions. Rather than dive into entrepreneurship on instincts alone, she used Upwork as a live marketplace to validate demand — watching carefully for paid projects, returning clients, and referrals as signals that her services were truly needed.
Her focus on real market feedback rather than assumptions led her to refine her offerings, build repeatable frameworks, and shift from trading time for client outcomes — a strategy that helped her firm secure more than 200 clients, including national franchises and Fortune 500 organizations.
Values, Strategy, and Sustainable Growth
DeStefano-Tangorra credits not just market testing but alignment with her values and faith for how she built her business. She intentionally declined opportunities that didn’t fit her standards or business vision, instead designing a company that could grow sustainably without relying solely on her personal output.
Her early success — and subsequent national attention for practical adoption of generative AI — underscores an essential lesson for founders: test before you commit and let real demand shape your strategy.
What This Means for Future Founders
DeStefano-Tangorra’s experience highlights why entrepreneurs should embrace market validation, not just careful planning. Early testing helps confirm demand, refine offerings, and build confidence before scaling — especially in dynamic sectors like data, AI, and technology consulting.
