Embodiments of the present invention relieve the burden on a product designer to setup simulations to validate a product design. These embodiments are directed to computer methods and systems for inverting a simulation process to validate a product design. The methods and systems configure a simulator with analysis methods. The methods and systems then provide product design parameters (operating environment conditions and design targets) that define scenarios likely experienced by a product in terms familiar to the product designer. The methods and systems, via the simulator, automatically determine simulations for validating the product design based on the provided product design parameters. To do so, the methods and systems map each of the design parameters to one or more analysis types, which are used by the simulator to select a sequence of analysis methods to define the simulations. The methods and systems execute the simulations to validate the product design.