Ask HN: Got unexpected feedback - where do I go from here?

TL;DR - Had overwhelmingly positive feedback on an idea, not sure how to take it to the next step!

Hey HN,

I usually build small projects that tick along nicely. The feedback I usually get is that they're useful, neat or fun ideas.I recently scoped out, wireframed, sketched and planned a new web & mobile app. It's something that distributed teams & startups might like to use.

It would be of use in my day job and I usually start at that jumping off point for my ideas.

I've spent a bit of time & money working with a designer to go through each screen and mocking it up properly. I figure getting it to that point makes it easier to share. I usually put the ideas into a working file then as my technical skills improve or if I have a bit extra cash I can hire a developer for the bits I can't do myself.

However with this project, the feedback has been like never before!

I've had 5 offers of pre-order (even without me asking "would you buy it") I've had several business cards with people saying "let me know when I can sign up" or "get in touch when your prototype is ready".

I've even had people tell me it's a "fundable idea" - which is something I had never even considered, I've always just bootstrapped my projects.

There would be a very steep learning curve for me to build a prototype for this, probably would take me months. While I'm eager and willing it defeats the object of a quick prototype that gets thrown away.

I'm building a mailing list of those who have registered their interest & I'm still gathering as much feedback as I can.

What kind of numbers are convincing enough to push this forward? What matters most in this situation? Quickness or proof of concept, showing the full potential?

Or do I take it all with a pinch of salt and let it rest in my project folder?

Thanks!