Building a startup is exciting, but building too early without validation is one of the biggest reasons startups fail.
Before writing a single line of code — before even thinking about MVP — you need to validate your idea in the real world.
Here’s how serious founders validate smarter (and save months of wasted effort):
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1. Customer Interviews: Real Conversations, Not Surveys
✅ Why:
Surveys are easy to ignore. Conversations force people to reveal real frustrations, habits, and gaps.
✅ How to Do It:
• Identify 10–20 people who match your ideal customer profile.
• Schedule 15-minute calls.
• Ask open-ended, problem-focused questions, not yes/no “leading” questions.
✅ Questions You Must Ask:
• “Tell me about the last time you faced [problem X].”
• “What did you try to solve it?”
• “What frustrated you about the current solutions?”
✅ Pro Tip:
Look for emotion (“It was so annoying when…”) → that’s where real pain points lie.
2. Create a Simple Landing Page (Pretend the Product Exists)
✅ Why:
If you can’t convince people with words, the product won’t save you.
✅ How to Do It:
• Build a basic landing page:
• Clear headline: Problem > Solution > Call-to-Action.
• A simple signup form (“Join waitlist”, “Get early access”).
✅ Tools:
• Carrd.co (cheap, fast)
• Webflow (more customizable)
✅ Pro Tip:
Don’t over-explain. If it takes more than 10 seconds to “get it,” the idea needs tightening.
3. Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Page (Paid or Organic)
✅ Why:
You need real external validation — not just family/friend compliments.
✅ How to Do It:
• LinkedIn post to your network
• IndieHackers / Reddit r/startups / r/EntrepreneurRideAlong sharing
• $50–$100 of super-targeted Meta ads or LinkedIn ads (optional)
✅ What to Track:
• Landing Page Conversion Rate (>10% signup rate = strong signal)
• Inbound DMs (“When is this launching?” = strong signal)
4. Pre-Sell: The Ultimate Validation Move
✅ Why:
Money talks.
People paying even $5–$50 for early access is 10x stronger validation than someone saying “cool idea.”
✅ How to Do It:
• Offer a heavily discounted early bird special.
• Or offer lifetime deals (first 50 users only).
✅ Pro Tip:
Even $1 commitment matters more than 1,000 likes.
5. Red Flags = Pivot Now, Not Later
✅ Warning Signs:
• People like the idea but won’t sign up.
• People sign up but won’t pay.
• People ghost when invited to demo sessions.
✅ Insight:
No need to emotionally commit to every idea.
Founders who pivot early win faster.
🔥 Real-World Examples
• Dropbox famously validated demand before building — with a 2-minute explainer video.
(They collected 75,000+ signups without a working product.)
• Superhuman (email productivity app) manually interviewed hundreds of potential users before writing serious code — resulting in massive product-market fit.
📋 Final Validation Checklist
Question Target Outcome
Are users emotionally frustrated by the problem? Strong yes
Do users sign up willingly after seeing landing page? >10% conversion
Will at least a few users prepay or commit money? Yes
Am I hearing unsolicited excitement? Yes
✅ If yes = Build MVP.
❌ If no = Refine or pivot your idea.
At Zero To One Studios, we help founders validate smarter before they waste time coding.
If you have an idea you want to test,
book a free MVP validation call today — and move faster toward real traction.