Market research is there to reduce risk: understanding demand, supply, the environment and channels. But “testing demand” does not mean “writing a PDF”. It means getting proof.
The 3 minimum proofs
Before building anything, you need to demonstrate:
- A real problem — verbatim quotes, concrete examples, quantified costs
- Interest — meetings booked, sign-ups, time invested
- A pre-purchase or commitment — even a symbolic one, a sign that someone would pay
Without these 3 proofs, all you have is a hypothesis. And a hypothesis does not deserve 6 months of development.
Interviews (10 in 7 days)
This is the most powerful and most underused tool. Official sources recommend field surveys as part of a structured approach.
The 5 key questions
| # | Question | What you are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ”Tell me about the last time you had this problem” | Real context, not theory |
| 2 | ”What did you do to solve it?” | Existing solutions (your competitors) |
| 3 | ”What doesn’t work in the current solution?” | The “gap” = your opportunity |
| 4 | ”How much does it cost you (in time, money, stress)?” | The economic value of the problem |
| 5 | ”If I offered you X, would you be willing to pay Y?” | A buying signal (careful: declarative) |
The golden rules
- Do not pitch. Listen. If you talk more than 30% of the time, it has failed.
- Look for the “no” answers. Polite “great idea!” comments are worthless.
- Document everything. Exact verbatim quotes, not your interpretations.
Goal: 10 interviews in 7 days. If you cannot manage it, that is a signal: either you do not know your target, or it is hard to reach (a bad sign for your go-to-market).
Test landing page (the most underestimated weapon)
One page, one promise, one proof, one price, one button. That is all.
Minimum structure
- Headline: the problem you solve (not your startup’s name)
- Subheadline: how you solve it (1 sentence)
- 1 visual: product, mock-up or diagram
- Price: even an indicative one
- CTA button: “Book my spot” / “Pre-order” / “Get notified”
What you measure
- Visit → sign-up rate: > 5% = positive signal
- Traffic source: where your prospects come from
- Behavior: how many scroll, how many click
Minimal MVP (the smallest proof of use)
An MVP is not a “complete product”. It is the smallest thing that proves usage:
- A shared spreadsheet that simulates the service
- A no-code prototype (Notion, Airtable, Tally)
- A “hand-made” service before automating
- A WhatsApp group that delivers the promised value
To move faster here without hiring, see the concrete ways entrepreneurs use generative AI — useful for producing a mockup or working through interview notes, not for replacing fieldwork.
The 48-hour test
If you cannot build your MVP in 48 hours, you are probably building a product, not a test.
Validation KPIs + decision
| KPI | ”Go” threshold | ”Pivot” threshold | ”Stop” threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive interviews (out of 10) | ≥ 7 | 4-6 | < 4 |
| Landing page sign-up rate | > 5% | 2-5% | < 2% |
| Pre-orders / commitments | ≥ 3 | 1-2 | 0 |
| Time spent on the MVP | > 5 min/session | 2-5 min | < 2 min |
The decision
If you do not get a signal, you do not “force” it. Three options:
- Adjust the offer — same problem, different solution
- Change the segment — same solution, different customer
- Stop — and that is OK. 2 weeks of testing beats 1 year of useless development
Ignoring that signal is the leading cause of failure: it is the pattern that comes up most often when you look at why startups fail.
Conclusion
Testing market demand means investing 7-14 days to save 6-12 months. The method is simple: interviews, landing page, minimal MVP. The hard part is accepting the results — especially when they say “no”.
Next step: book your first 10 interviews this week using the 5 key questions above, then join an ideation program to structure the rest.
