Most people skip this question, build for months, then launch to silence. This guide helps you find out the answer in days, not months — before you waste a single line of code.
It doesn't matter if people say "yeah, I'd use that." What matters: will they click, sign up, or pay? Validation means designing small, cheap experiments that test what people do.
Each one gates the next. If you can't answer #1, don't waste time on #4.
Are people searching, complaining, or working around it with duct tape?
A problem people don't recognize can't be sold. Education + sales = two jobs.
Search volume, Reddit threads, competitor existence. Active seeking, not passive annoyance.
Maybe they'll pay someone. Will they pay a new, unknown tool? What's your wedge?
Each rung gives you more confidence. Don't skip ahead.
Keywords, Reddit, forums, competitor reviews. Does anyone care?
One page. Headline, value prop, email form. Share in communities.
$50–100 in Google/Reddit Ads at your landing page. Real intent.
"Buy Now" → "Coming soon, enter email." Measures willingness to pay.
Take actual payment for a product that doesn't exist yet. Only validation that truly counts.
Run search ads for the problem your product solves. If people click, the problem is real. If they sign up, the positioning works.
Post describing the problem (not your product) in a relevant subreddit. See if people say "I have this" or "I'd pay for that."
G2, Capterra, Trustpilot for existing tools in your space. Read the 2–3 star reviews. Their complaints are your feature list.
One-page site that looks like the product exists. Pricing section, "Start free trial" button → waitlist form.
Deliver the value manually to 3–5 people. No code. You are the product. If they pay you to keep doing it, build the software.
Product page with a price and a buy button. State it's pre-launch. If people pay, build it. If not, you saved months.
Thread about the problem, not your solution. "Here's why [problem] is broken." Engagement = signal.
Find people who should have this problem. Email them. Not selling — asking. "How do you handle [thing]?"
Product Hunt upcoming, Indie Hackers, relevant directories. Measure follows and signups.
Friends lie to be supportive. Unless they pre-ordered, it's noise.
Likes are free. Nobody pays rent with likes. Count the DMs.
Usually bad. Might mean nobody wants it. Competitors = demand.
People say yes to surveys and no to invoices. Ask for money instead.
If you can't explain the value in one sentence, building won't help.
TAM is for pitch decks. Zero people wanting your thing = zero revenue.
Two-page site: page one described Buffer, page two had pricing. "Sign up" led to "not ready yet" email form. People signed up. Then he built it.
Drew Houston made a demo video. Product barely worked. Posted to HN. Waitlist: 5K → 75K overnight.
Before automation existed, the team manually connected apps via custom scripts. Charged from day one.
Queue position visible. Jump ahead by sharing. Game mechanics turned a waitlist into distribution.
3 months building. Launch to silence. Validated with your own enthusiasm instead of other people's wallets. We've all been there.
Can't check 5? Keep validating.
The best builders validate continuously — every feature, every pivot, every expansion.
We'll validate your idea for you. Paste your landing page, describe your product, and we'll run a full validation sprint — AI-generated keywords, ad copy, real Google Ads campaign, and a verdict in 7 days.
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