Ask HN: How should we test if our idea is feasible and worth pursuing?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3873225

by sparknlaunch12 • 14 years ago

6 20 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

We have an idea for a website but don't want to build it until we know there are interested customers.

We have already gained some early feedback from surveys and speaking to people. However we want a proper demo to gain real feedback. Essentially we want an early MVP to play with.

One idea was to create a short video showing how the concept would work. Then promote via YouTube and/or landing page.

Another was to create a basic sales landing page. Then measure traffic and feedback.

Alternatively build a couple of screens and ask HN users for initial feedback.

If anyone has some tips or strategies on how they validated their early ideas then please share. Thanks!

imcqueen• 14 years ago

websites are an experience good. build some sliver of your vision to test the water. eventually youre gong to have to build your product, so any time spent doing something other than that is waste.

just do it. youll be happy you did

sparknlaunch128• 14 years ago

True, but is building the wrong product not a waste of time?

skmurphy2• 14 years ago

You are assuming that it's a binary outcome--it's a right or wrong product--when it's shades of gray and an opportunity for learning more about your customers' needs. Consider proceeding by a sequence of prototypes that become "less wrong" over time or even "good enough."

090178• 14 years ago

landing page for SEO and first beta users DB ?

Wordpress & wufoo ? Wordpress and MailChimp ?

sparknlaunch128• 14 years ago

All helpful tools. However how do we use them to test/validate idea?

helen842000• 14 years ago

I guess it depends on your niche. If you're solving a reasonably common problem check out searches & potential traffic using Google keyword tool. You need to brainstorm potential phrases used by your customers, see if you've hit on something that is easily described in google search terms

sparknlaunch128• 14 years ago

We believe the idea is niche but will solve a common problem.

We will check out search terms but feel we need more of a demo to prove the concept and our assumptions.

AznHisoka3• 14 years ago

Build the product and focus on building 1-2 core features that constitute the unique value proposition of your idea. Then show that to your core customers.

Core Feature. Core Customer. That means don't worry about silly trivial things like spacing between pixels. And don't even talk to friends and see what they think.

sparknlaunch128• 14 years ago

Building the site with core features will take time. We want to validate our concept before building too much.

Is a website with screens and no working features sufficient?

Why shouldn't we talk to friends?

What recommendations do you have to getting the concept to core customers?

AznHisoka3• 14 years ago

talk to people who have the problem you are trying to solve. Get inside their head, and understand their pain point. Then build a MVP to solve that pain point. you find these people thru forums, offline, networking, etc. it depends on what your product is - it is an entreprise app? consumer app?

superslug• 14 years ago

You can validate demand with simple landing page and adwords to drive traffic based on features and benefits..

tonyjwang• 14 years ago

What kind of data would you need to validate/invalidate your idea?

alex_g• 14 years ago

Those all sound like great ideas. You should choose one and the share your results.

debacle• 14 years ago

Make some fake screenshots, throw up a 'coming soon' page, collect email addresses.

Consider ~10% of those email addresses sales.

A youtube video would be a plus, but would be hard to demo.

sparknlaunch128• 14 years ago

Why would a video be harder to demo than screen shots?

Ask HN: How should we test if our idea is feasible and worth pursuing?

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