Every idea rests on a few assumptions. Usually one of them is much riskier than the rest: people have this problem, they'll pay to solve it, or you can reach them. Test that one first.
1. Ten problem interviews
Talk to ten people who match your first user. Don't pitch. Ask how they handle the problem today and what it costs them. If nobody has hacked together a workaround, the pain may not be real.
2. A one-page waitlist
Put up a landing page with a specific promise and a single call to action. Send it to the people you interviewed and the places they hang out. Signups aren't sales, but no signups is a clear signal.
3. The concierge MVP
Deliver the outcome by hand for three to five customers. You'll learn the real workflow faster than any spec could show you, and your first users will feel looked after.
4. Pre-sales
The strongest signal is money. Offer early access at a discount and ask people to pay now. Even a handful of payments tells you more than a hundred compliments.
Then build
Once your riskiest assumption survives, build the smallest version that delivers the core loop. ShipMVP's plans pair each risk with a test like these so you know what to check first.
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