None of this startup porn is new. The best source I've found discussing all stages of company development is Geoffrey Moore's work (Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado).
The OP does draw a comparison between his ideas and Moore's Crossing the Chasm. I agree there's a lot of buzz-like words thrown around, but there is substance here. There's an actionable suggestion for finding the monitizable pain (or any other term you want to give it). His plan instructs you to call a specific person, to convey a specific message, and measure for a specific success rate. I'd say this is useful and fresh advice in that regard.
I agree and sorry for not being more clear. This article along with a lot of the current startup philosophies help with finding the initial market and traction. My challenge has always been what to do next. Focusing on the pain is part of the equation. The other critical factor, once a company moves out of the zone of early adopters, is the buying process of the main stream shifts dramatically. It's a sales and marketing scale issue vs. product and tech issue. (Although, as I write this, I'm realizing this may only be true for b2b products vs. b2c)
The overall message is old ("talk to your customers!"), but I found the concrete suggestions (cold call and say "do you have this problem?", measure the amount of time someone spends talking about a problem) very valuable.