Validating your startup idea is a long, expensive journey that requires building an entire product first. But let me tell you something…that assumption isn’t just wrong, it’s literally setting your startup up for a spectacular, flaming demise.
I just learned that 42% of startups fail because they build products nobody wants. Here’s how you’ll avoid that fate with practical demand validation techniques that take days, not months, and cost virtually nothing.
So you’ve got this brilliant idea that’s going to change the world, revolutionize an industry, and make you the next tech billionaire, right? Let me put on my imaginary glasses for this bit…
The thing is, entrepreneurs are notorious for falling madly in love with their ideas before checking if actual humans share their enthusiasm. It’s like proposing marriage to someone you’ve only seen across a crowded room.
What I’m going to do is show you how to validate market demand before you spend months building something that might get the digital equivalent of “new phone, who dis?” when you launch.
1. Low-Fidelity Prototypes: Testing Without Building
Low-fidelity prototypes are the cheeky little shortcut that smart founders use to test ideas without writing a single line of code. We’re talking about:
- Mockups created in Figma or InVision
- Simple storyboards showing how your product works
- Quick explainer videos demonstrating your core value proposition
The absolute legend Drew Houston of Dropbox did exactly this in 2007. Instead of building the entire file-synchronization system first, he created a 3-minute demo video that explained the concept. That video drove 75,000 people to sign up for a waiting list for a product that didn’t even exist yet!
Now, when creating your prototype, focus on clarity rather than polish. Your mockup doesn’t need beautiful graphics – it needs to communicate your core value proposition. Think of it as the difference between a quick pencil sketch and the Mona Lisa. One takes years and massive talent; the other can be done in minutes and still get the point across.
Hang on a second… next one’s a doozy.
2. Smoke Tests: Measuring Actions, Not Opinions
Here’s the kicker about market validation – people are absolutely rubbish at predicting their own future behavior. If you ask someone, “Would you pay $50 for this app?” they’ll likely say “yes” just to be nice, then never actually pull out their wallet.
Smoke tests solve this by measuring actual intent rather than opinions. Let’s look at three approaches:
Fake Door Tests
Create a landing page for your “upcoming” product with a clear call-to-action button (like “Pre-order Now” or “Join Waitlist”). When visitors click that button, they’ll see a message explaining the product isn’t available yet, but they can sign up to be notified when it launches.
This is absolutely not about tricking people – always be transparent that this is for an upcoming product. But the number of people willing to click that button gives you hard data on actual interest.
Landing Page A/B Tests
Create multiple landing pages with different value propositions, pricing models, or feature sets, then drive equal traffic to each and measure which one converts better.
In January 2025, you tested three different positioning statements for your fintech app, and discovered that emphasizing “save time” converted 3x better than “save money.” That’s massive insight before writing a single line of code!
Concierge MVP
This is where you manually deliver your service before building the technology. The payment processing company Stripe started this way – the founders would literally set up merchant accounts by hand for early customers before building their automated system.
Here’s what you should absolutely avoid: questions like “Would you buy this?” Instead, track actions that require some level of commitment, like:
- Giving an email address
- Clicking a payment button
- Scheduling a demo call
I mean, seriously? The difference between what people say versus what people do is like the difference between claiming you’ll go to the gym five times a week and your actual attendance record. One is aspirational; one is reality.
Let me transition to the next bit with this thought… Good validation creates commitment friction.
3. Tools to Launch and Measure Quickly
Now, let’s crack on with the tools that will help you get these tests up and running in literally hours, not weeks:
For Prototyping:
- Figma or Canva: Create mockups without design skills
- InVision: Make clickable prototypes
- Loom: Record quick explainer videos
For Smoke Testing:
- Unbounce or Carrd: Build landing pages in minutes
- Google Optimize: Run A/B tests without coding
- Meta Ads or Google Ads: Drive targeted traffic for as little as £5/$5 per day
For Measurement:
Focus on these metrics rather than vanity numbers:
- Click-through rate (CTR) on your “Buy” or “Sign up” button
- Time spent on page (indicating interest level)
- Conversion rate from visitor to email signup
Am I overthinking this? Definitely. But that’s part of the fun!
The thing about measurement is that even “negative” results are actually insanely valuable. If you spend $100 on ads and nobody clicks your “Pre-order” button, you’ve just saved yourself $100,000 and six months building something nobody wants.
4. Avoiding Common Validation Pitfalls
Let’s be honest, we’re all susceptible to some common traps when validating ideas. Here are the big ones to watch for:
Confirmation Bias
This is where you subconsciously look for data that confirms what you already believe. It’s like googling “why chocolate is healthy” rather than “is chocolate healthy?”
To avoid this, use completely neutral copy in your tests. Don’t lead the witness with phrases like “Revolutionary new app that will transform your finances!” Instead, simply describe what it does without the hype.
Premature Scaling
This is when you try to solve too many problems at once before validating any of them. The most successful startups solve ONE narrow problem exceptionally well before expanding.
Buffer, the social media scheduling tool, started as literally just a two-page website. The first page described the concept, and the second page asked for money. Only after people actually paid did they build the product.
Ignoring “Negative” Data
Low engagement isn’t failure – it’s a signal to pivot. If your landing page gets lots of traffic but few conversions, that’s not a sign to quit; it’s data telling you to change your approach.
Anyone else see where this is going? The entrepreneurs who succeed aren’t necessarily the ones with the best initial ideas – they’re the ones who iterate fastest based on real market feedback.
The Bottom Line: Learn Fast, Cheaply
Validating demand isn’t about proving your idea is perfect – it’s about learning as quickly and cheaply as possible. It’s like trying on clothes before buying them, rather than ordering an entire wardrobe online and hoping it all fits.
The classic book “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries emphasizes this concept of validated learning. Every assumption in your business model should be tested with the smallest possible experiment.
Let’s recap the process:
- Identify your riskiest assumption (usually that people want your solution)
- Create the simplest possible test (low-fi prototype, landing page, etc.)
- Drive a small amount of targeted traffic to your test
- Measure concrete actions, not opinions
- Iterate or pivot based on the data
If you want more of these insanely practical startup validation techniques, subscribe to my newsletter where I share weekly case studies of successful (and failed) validation experiments. The good, the bad, and the “what were they thinking?!”
And if you’ve run validation tests for your own startup, I’d love to hear what worked, what didn’t, and what surprised you in the comments below.
Remember, in the words of Steve Blank, “No business plan survives first contact with customers.” So test early, test often, and let real user behavior guide your path to startup success.
