The most reliable basis for demand validation is your own historical order data, not platform bestseller lists or social media trends. A few practically actionable directions: First, look at which items your existing customers have reordered most frequently over the past three years—repeat purchases reflect real demand better than first-time purchases. Second, look at your inquiry records: which items have inquiries but ultimately didn't convert, and identify why—price, specs, or lead time. This is more valuable than just seeing whether items sell. Third, talk directly with buyers downstream of your channel partners and ask what problems their customers are complaining about and what they're missing, rather than asking if they want to sell your new products. Following-trend decisions are characterized by 'someone else is selling it so I should too'; demand-driven decisions are characterized by 'someone is willing to pay for a solution to this problem, and I can solve it'. The starting points are completely different.