How to Validate Your Product Idea in 28 Days – Part 1 of 4

You've got a great idea for a new business, but how do you make sure that it's an idea that's worth pursuing? And more importantly, how do you figure out as soon as possible if you're just going to waste your time and money? You probably know that you've got to “get out of the building” and talk to your potential customers. But you're not sure what the best way to do that is.

In this 4-part series, I'll show you how to validate your product idea in 28 days.

Week 1: Define & Engage Your Target Customers

In the first 7 days, we're going to define our target customer and then we're going to start contacting some of these people.

If you're anything like me, then the thought of going out and talking to complete strangers about your idea may make you a little nervous.

Don't worry, it's not that bad. You have a great idea, but who is it going to help? Who do you believe that you're solving a problem for? Let's try to get as clear about that as possible.

It can sometimes feel counter-intuitive to get so specific. Won't that give us a much smaller potential market? Yes, it will.

But here's why that's important.

Firstly, if you try marketing to everyone, you'll end up marketing to no one. Secondly, when you get specific about your customers, your message will resonate with them. And thirdly, you can always expand your market later. Remember, Facebook started out as a service just for Harvard students.

Create a Simple Persona of Your Target Customer

Let's start by creating a simple persona. We're not looking to achieve perfection. We're looking for a clear description so you'll know exactly who to talk to.

Let's say you have an idea for a diet & nutrition app targeting women. Go deeper: working moms who eat gluten free food. That's a much better place to start.

Next, answer:

What are your target customer's top 3 pain points?
What are your target customer's top 3 desired outcomes?

This is your ‘working hypothesis’. You'll validate later.

Find Out Where Your Target Customers Hang Out

Start by posting to your own network. Check out relevant blogs, forums, and Facebook groups. You could also try LinkedIn's advanced search to find people with a certain role in your target market.

How to Reach Out and Request an Interview

Post a message or send a direct mail explaining that you're an entrepreneur developing a product. You're not selling anything. You are just looking for feedback and advice.

Your goal is to schedule a 20 to 30 minute interview with at least 5 people for next week. Keep repeating until you have at least 5 interviews scheduled.

In this first week, we've developed a customer persona, figured out where they hang out, contacted them and set up interviews. That's great progress!