Test if people will pay before you start building
Don't jump straight into building your product; first, verify if people are actually willing to pay for it. A list of email signups is a weak signal compared to real commitments like pre-payments or booked calls.
A founder shared their plan to get early signups for a new software before writing any code. Community experts pointed out that an email address is a low commitment and doesn't prove someone will buy. They recommend looking for stronger signals, such as asking for a small deposit or running a concierge service where you solve the problem manually first. If you can't explain your value in one simple sentence that makes people want to use it immediately, you might need to change your approach. Remember, having competitors is actually a good sign that people are already spending money in that market.
Key points
- Email signups are weak signals; look for money or time commitments instead.
- Conduct deep interviews with potential customers before writing code.
- A concierge approach helps you test the service manually before automating it.
- Existing competitors prove there is a real market and demand for your idea.
Quick term guide
- build
- A chosen set of in-game abilities or items a player equips for their character.
- commit
- A saved set of code changes in a project’s history.
- founder
- A person who starts a new company or project.
- share
- A server folder made available to apps or other devices.
- software
- Programs or apps that run on a computer or smartphone.
- concierge
- Testing an idea by manually performing the service for customers before building the software.
- media
- Channels like social media, news sites, or TV used to share information.
- competitors
- Other businesses making similar products for the same customers.