How to Validate a Startup Idea Before Building
We build MVPs for a living, and we still tell founders to validate first. A few weeks of cheap tests either give you confidence to build or save you the entire budget.
- Published
Week 1: talk to customers
Interview 10–15 people who have the problem. Ask about the last time it happened, what they did, and what it cost them — not whether they like your idea. Past behaviour predicts purchases; compliments do not.
Week 2: the landing page test
- One page: the problem, your promise, a price, a sign-up or pre-order button.
- Drive a small amount of targeted traffic.
- Measure sign-up rate, and follow up with everyone who signs up.
Weeks 3–4: the concierge version
Deliver the outcome manually for a handful of customers — spreadsheets, WhatsApp, your own time. If they will pay for the manual version, software will make it scale. If they will not pay even for that, software will not fix it.
Go signals
| Signal | Strong | Weak |
|---|---|---|
| Interviews | Specific recent pain, workarounds, money spent | Polite interest |
| Landing page | Clear sign-ups from targeted traffic | Clicks, no sign-ups |
| Concierge | Customers pay and come back | Free users drift away |
Frequently asked questions
Can’t I just build the MVP and see?
You can, but a failed MVP costs months and tens of thousands. Validation costs weeks and very little.
Do you help with validation?
Yes — our Validator tier ($5k–$12k) builds the landing page, waitlist and one manual flow in one to two weeks.
What if the results are mixed?
Narrow the audience or the problem and run another round. Mixed results usually mean too broad a target.
