How to Validate a Startup Idea Before Building

The #1 reason startups fail isn't bad execution or lack of funding — it's building something nobody wants. According to CB Insights, 35% of failed startups cite "no market need" as their primary cause of death.

Why You Must Validate

Your opinion about your idea doesn't matter. The only opinion that matters is whether customers will pay money for what you're building.

What skipping validation costs:

• 3-6 months of building time
• $5,000-50,000 in development costs
• Mental energy that could go toward a validated idea

The 5-Step Validation Framework

Step 1: Define Your Hypothesis

Bad: "People need a better project management tool."

Good: "Freelance web designers managing 3-10 clients would pay $20-40/month for a single dashboard showing all client project statuses."

Step 2: Desktop Research (2-3 hours)

• Search Reddit for problem keywords
• Check competitor pricing pages
• Read negative reviews on G2/Capterra
• Look at search volume trends

Step 3: Talk to Potential Customers (10-15 conversations)

Ask:

• "Tell me about the last time you dealt with [problem]."
• "What do you currently use to solve this?"
• "Have you ever searched for a solution?"

Step 4: Test Willingness to Pay

• Pre-sale landing page
• Fake door test
• Concierge MVP
• Letter of intent

Step 5: Set Kill Criteria

Decide in advance what results would make you abandon the idea.

Validation Timeline: 2-Week Sprint

• Days 1-2: Desktop research
• Days 3-7: Customer conversations
• Days 8-10: Build landing page
• Days 11-14: Drive traffic and measure

Total cost: $50-200 and ~20 hours.

Browse already-validated ideas →