What to validate before spending more on your idea
An idea can be exciting while important questions remain unanswered. Before the next expense, identify which question you need to test.
Use the free worksheetYou do not need to prove the entire business will work. You need to know which assumption supports the next step and what evidence would make you proceed, adapt or wait.
Three steps before deciding.
Name the expense and decision
Write down the money, time or reputation you may commit and when you must decide. ‘Keep working on the idea’ is too broad; ‘pay for a first prototype this month’ is specific enough to test.
Separate enthusiasm from evidence
State what must be true for that expense to make sense: a particular group has the problem, would use a solution or would pay for it. Friendly feedback is not the same as a purchase.
Design a small test
Find a low-cost, respectful way to observe behaviour: conversations with relevant people, a clearly explained offer or a voluntary reservation, depending on the case. Decide in advance what would make you proceed, adapt or stop.
See the question behind the decision.
Before commissioning a full website, a founder could explain the offer to potential customers and listen for how they describe the problem and what real next step they would take. The right amount or kind of evidence depends on the venture; there is no universal threshold.
Your decision sheet
Copy these four questions into your own notes. You do not need to send us any data to use this guide.
- 01
What am I about to commit?
Note the approximate cost or time and decision date.
- 02
What must be true to justify it?
Write a specific assumption about customer, problem, use or payment.
- 03
What could I test first?
Who will you speak to and what behaviour will you observe?
- 04
What would make me proceed, adapt or wait?
Set a reasonable signal for each option in advance.
What this guide cannot tell you
A single test does not guarantee future demand, profitability or funding. If co-founders, a large investment or an irreversible decision are involved, review costs, execution capacity, alternatives and specific risks too.