Validate an idea by testing whether real people have the problem, whether they will act to solve it, and whether they will pay. Customer interviews, a landing page with a waiting list, a concierge version done by hand, a clickable prototype and a pre-sale each test one of those. You are ready to build when strangers, not friends, take a costly action such as paying, pre-ordering or giving up an hour of their time.
Validation is the work of finding out whether people want what you plan to build, before you pay to build it. Done well it takes a few weeks and a few hundred dollars. Skipped, it is discovered at launch, after the budget is spent. This guide covers the methods we recommend to founders, roughly in the order you should use them.
What are you actually validating?
Three separate questions, each needing its own evidence:
- Is the problem real? Do people you do not know describe it without prompting and spend time or money on it today?
- Will they change their behaviour? Having a problem is not the same as being willing to switch to a new solution.
- Will they pay, and enough? A product people like but will not pay for is a hobby.
Which validation methods work?
| Method | What it tests | Cost and time | Strong signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer interviews | Problem is real, current workarounds, language used | Two weeks, no money | Unprompted descriptions of the problem and what it costs them |
| Landing page and waiting list | Interest from strangers, which message works | A few days, small ad budget | Sign-up rate from cold traffic, replies to a follow-up email |
| Concierge version | Willingness to change behaviour, what the service really involves | Weeks, your own time | Users come back and ask for more without being chased |
| Clickable prototype | Whether the flow makes sense, which features matter | One to two weeks, design cost | Users complete the core task without help and ask when they can have it |
| Pre-sale or deposit | Willingness to pay | Days, once you have an audience | Money in your account from people you did not know |
How do you run customer interviews that tell the truth?
People are polite. Ask "would you use this?" and most will say yes to be kind. Ask about the past instead of the future and you get facts:
- "Tell me about the last time you dealt with this problem."
- "What did you do? What did that cost you?"
- "What have you tried? Why did you stop using it?"
- "If this went away tomorrow, what would change for you?"
Never pitch during the interview. Write down the exact phrases people use. After ten conversations you will hear repetition. After twenty you will know whether the problem is real and who feels it most.
What is a concierge version?
You deliver the outcome of your product by hand, without software, to a handful of customers. A meal-planning app becomes you sending weekly plans by email. A marketplace becomes you matching buyers and sellers over the phone. It does not scale and it is not supposed to. It tells you whether people value the outcome, what the service really involves, and which parts are worth automating first. Several of the most successful products we have built started exactly this way.
What signals mean you are ready to build?
- Strangers, not friends, take a costly action: pay, pre-order, give an hour, or introduce you to others.
- You can describe the user and their problem in their own words, and they nod.
- You know the one thing the first version must do, and the number that shows it worked.
- You have a channel, even a small one, where those users can be found again after launch.
What signals mean you are not?
- Everyone says it is a great idea and nobody signs up.
- Interviewees describe a different problem from the one you planned to solve. That is useful, but it means going back to step one.
- The only people who will pay are ones who know you.
- You keep adding features to the plan to make the idea "complete". A validated idea gets narrower, not wider.
Validation is not a phase you finish
The first release is itself a validation step, and so is every release after it. The point of doing it before code is to make sure the first release is the right experiment, not to prove the idea beyond doubt. Nothing does that except customers.
How 7L helps at this stage
Our project managers run discovery workshops that turn interview notes and landing page data into a scoped first release, and we build clickable prototypes as a standalone service for founders who need one to test with users or show investors. Through the Startupper Program, market research and validation campaigns are part of the engagement rather than something you do alone. If you have an idea and a few conversations behind you, talk to us about what to test next.
Frequently asked questions
How many customer interviews are enough?
Around twenty in a single, well-defined segment. Fewer than ten and you are hearing individuals. More than thirty and the patterns stopped changing a while ago. If the segment is broad, split it and interview each part.
Can a landing page really validate an idea?
It validates interest in a message, which is one piece of the puzzle. A strong sign-up rate from cold traffic is meaningful. It does not tell you whether people will pay or change habits, so pair it with interviews or a pre-sale.
Is it dishonest to sell something that does not exist yet?
Not if you are clear about it. Tell people it is a pre-order or a founding-member offer, say when it will be delivered, and refund without argument if it is not. Many successful products started with a pre-sale.
What if I validate and the answer is no?
You have saved yourself the cost of a build and learned something about the market. Most founders who validate honestly end up changing the idea rather than abandoning it, usually toward a narrower, more specific version.
Do I need a prototype to raise money?
Increasingly, yes, at least a clickable one. Investors want to see that you understand the user flow and can execute. A prototype plus validation evidence is a stronger seed pitch than a deck alone.