YEREVAN, Armenia — The 10 startup teams of the spring 2026 cohort of the Incubation Program at the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) at the American University of Armenia (AUA) have completed their customer discovery stage, one of the most important and rigorous parts of the program. Over the course of several weeks, teams conducted structured interviews with potential users under the guidance of Armen Khrimian, a senior product manager and an experienced EPIC mentor. With this stage behind them, the cohort is now preparing for EPIC Demo Day, scheduled for June 10 and open to the public.
Customer discovery at EPIC is a structured, hands-on process. Teams begin by working with Khrimian, who coaches them on how to conduct effective interviews, what to ask, how to listen, and how to avoid the common trap of pitching instead of learning. Before going out to talk to real users, teams used AI-powered tools to simulate mock interviews, allowing them to refine their questions, identify gaps in their thinking, and practice handling unexpected answers. They also learned how to identify and reach the right people for interviews and focus groups, a skill that proves harder than most founders expect.
Throughout the process, Khrimian worked with teams on a weekly basis, and the broader EPIC team was present to support them with any questions or needs that came up along the way.
The interviews surfaced insights that questionnaires and assumptions simply cannot. For several teams, conversations with potential users confirmed that the problem they were solving was real and that there was genuine demand for a solution. For others, the picture that emerged was different: limited market interest, a different target user than expected, or a problem that people were already solving well enough with existing tools. In those cases, the customer discovery stage served its most valuable purpose, signaling that a pivot was needed before significant time and resources were invested in the wrong direction.
Sargis Shahinyan, co-founder of Minder, said: “During our interviews for Minder, we realized the challenges in Armenia’s therapy landscape were much deeper than we initially expected. Discovering that therapists are operating below capacity while seekers struggle with trust, vetting, and fear of re-traumatization validated the importance of our mission and pushed us to think beyond a simple directory toward solving a larger structural problem.”
“Customer discovery is one of the most non-negotiable parts of the EPIC Incubation Program because it pushes founders to test their assumptions against real market needs,” said Anna Khachatryan, EPIC’s Operations and Community manager and Incubation Program lead. “What stood out in this cohort was how open teams were to feedback and iteration. Many refined their ideas, adjusted their direction, and gained a much deeper understanding of their users through interviews and validation work. That process is what truly prepares them for Demo Day.”
The spring 2026 cohort, along with selected teams from the fall 2025 batch, will present their work at EPIC Demo Day on June 10. The event is open to everyone: investors, industry professionals, fellow entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in seeing what Armenia’s next generation of startups is building. More details on the agenda and registration will be shared soon.
The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.