Startup Step 1: How to Validate Your Business Idea Before You Build Anything
You have a brilliant business idea. You're excited. You can see the potential. You're ready to quit your job and build the next big thing.
Stop.
Before you write a single line of code, design a logo, or register a company, you need to answer one critical question: Will people actually pay for this?
95% of startups fail, and the #1 reason isn't lack of funding or technical problems – it's building something nobody wants.
The Validation Reality Check
What most founders do: Spend 6-12 months building their product, then try to find customers What successful founders do: Find customers first, then build exactly what they want
The difference: Successful founders validate their idea before they invest significant time and money.
The 7-Day Startup Validation Process
Day 1-2: Define Your Hypothesis
Your job: Get crystal clear on what you're actually solving
Questions to answer:
What specific problem are you solving?
Who exactly has this problem?
How are they currently solving it?
Why is your solution better?
Example: Instead of "I want to build a fitness app," try "I believe busy professionals aged 25-40 would pay €15/month for 15-minute workouts they can do at home without equipment."
Day 3-4: Find Your People
Your job: Locate 20 people who have the problem you're solving
Where to find them:
LinkedIn groups related to your industry
Facebook communities
Reddit subreddits
Industry forums
Local networking events
The key: Don't pitch your solution yet. Just find people with the problem.
Day 5-6: Conduct Problem Interviews
Your job: Confirm the problem exists and understand it deeply
Questions to ask:
"Tell me about the last time you experienced [problem]"
"How do you currently handle this?"
"What's the most frustrating part about [current solution]?"
"If you could wave a magic wand, how would you solve this?"
Critical rule: Listen 80%, talk 20%. You're gathering intelligence, not selling.
Day 7: The Validation Test
Your job: See if people will actually pay for your solution
Three validation methods:
1. The Landing Page Test Create a simple landing page describing your solution and ask people to sign up for early access. If you can't get 100 email signups from your target audience, the demand might not be there.
2. The Pre-Sale Test Offer to sell your solution before you build it. If people won't pay for it before it exists, they probably won't pay after either.
3. The MVP Test Create the absolute minimum version of your solution and see if people use it. This could be a simple service you deliver manually.
Real Validation Success Story
A Swiss entrepreneur had an idea for a meal planning app for busy parents. Instead of building the app first, here's what he did:
Week 1: Posted in 15 parenting Facebook groups asking about meal planning struggles Week 2: Interviewed 25 parents about their current meal planning process Week 3: Created a simple Google Sheet meal planning template and offered it for €5
Results:
340 parents downloaded the template in the first month
Average rating: 4.8/5
89% said they'd pay €15/month for an automated version
Outcome: He had validated demand before writing a single line of code. The app launched 6 months later to 1,200 pre-orders.
Red Flags: When to Pivot or Stop
Stop if:
You can't find 20 people with the problem
People say "it's a nice idea" but won't pay for it
The current solutions are "good enough"
You have to convince people they have the problem
Pivot if:
The problem exists but your solution isn't quite right
There's a related problem that's more urgent
A different target audience shows more interest
Your Validation Checklist
Before you move forward, make sure you can answer YES to these:
I've talked to at least 20 people who have this problem
At least 50% said they'd pay for a solution
I understand exactly how they currently solve this problem
I can clearly explain why my solution is better
I have a list of at least 50 potential early customers
What Comes After Validation?
Once you've validated your idea, you can move to Step 2: Building your brand identity and Step 3: Creating your MVP. But validation always comes first.
Remember: It's much cheaper to validate a bad idea than to build one.
Need Help Validating Your Startup Idea?
At Drie Marketing, we help startups validate their ideas and build their brand from day one. Our Brand Kickoff package includes market validation, brand strategy, and positioning – everything you need to start strong.
Ready to validate your idea properly? Contact Roel.p@driemarketing.com for a free validation strategy session.
