Founders: How do you validate that people actually need your idea?
I've been thinking about this problem for a while.
A lot of startups don't necessarily fail because they build a bad product. They fail because they build something that people simply don't need.
So I'm curious about how founders actually deal with this problem in practice.
- How do you validate an idea before entering the market?
- How do you collect feedback from potential customers?
- How do you distinguish between people saying "that's a great idea" and people who are actually willing to pay for it?
- Does your feedback process change once the product is already in the market?
- What has worked best for you: customer interviews, surveys, landing pages, pre-orders, MVPs, or something else?
- What are the biggest red flags that tell you an idea isn't worth pursuing?
I'd especially like to hear from people who have already built and launched startups.
Was there a validation method you wish you'd used earlier because it would have saved you time or money?