How to Validate Your Idea Before Spending €5,000 on Development

I've seen it too many times. Someone has a "brilliant" idea, spends months finding a developer, pays €5,000 or more to build it, launches to... crickets.

No users. No sales. Just a expensive lesson.

Here's the thing: most startup ideas fail. That's not pessimism, that's data. About 90% of startups don't make it, and the number one reason? They build something nobody wants.

But here's the good news. You can test almost any idea for under €100 and less than two weeks of work. No coding required. No developer needed. Just you, some creativity, and a willingness to talk to real people.

I've built several products over the years. Some worked (StudyLab now has thousands of users). Some didn't. The difference between the wins and losses almost always came down to one thing: did I validate before building?

Let me show you exactly how to do this.

Why Most People Skip Validation (And Regret It)

Validation feels slow. Unsexy. You want to build, not research.

I get it. When you have an idea you're excited about, the last thing you want to hear is "slow down and test it first." You want to see your vision come to life.

But consider this: would you rather spend two weeks testing an idea, or six months building something nobody uses?

The founders who skip validation usually fall into one of these traps:

The "I know my market" trap. You've worked in an industry for years, so you assume you understand what people need. Maybe you do. But your perspective is biased. You're not your customer.

The "this is so obvious" trap. The idea seems so clearly useful that validation feels unnecessary. If it's that obvious, why hasn't someone built it already? (Spoiler: they probably have, or there's a reason they haven't.)

The "I'll validate after launch" trap. You tell yourself you'll get feedback once the product exists. But by then, you've already spent the money. You're emotionally invested. You'll rationalize any negative feedback instead of pivoting.

None of these are character flaws. They're human nature. That's exactly why you need a validation process that forces you to confront reality before your bank account does.

The €100 Validation Framework

Here's my approach. It's not fancy, but it works.

Step 1: Define the Problem (Not the Solution)

Before anything else, write down the problem you're solving. Not your product idea. The actual problem.

This sounds simple. It's not.

Bad example: "People need an app that tracks their spending with AI."

Better example: "Freelancers often don't realize they're losing money on unprofitable clients until it's too late because tracking time and expenses across projects is tedious."

See the difference? The first one is a solution looking for a problem. The second one is a specific pain point experienced by specific people.

Ask yourself:

• Who exactly has this problem?
• How are they solving it today?
• How painful is this problem? (Mild inconvenience or hair-on-fire urgent?)
• Would they pay money to make it go away?

If you can't answer these clearly, you're not ready to validate. You're still guessing.

Step 2: Find 10 People Who Have This Problem

Not people who might have it. People who definitely have it right now.

Where to find them:

• Reddit communities related to your target market
• Facebook groups (yes, they still exist and are goldmines for B2B)
• LinkedIn (especially for professional/business problems)
• Local meetups or industry events
• Friends of friends (but be careful of politeness bias)

You need 10 real conversations. Not surveys. Not feedback forms. Actual conversations where you can ask follow-up questions.

This is where most people give up. Talking to strangers feels awkward. But it's the single most valuable thing you can do.

Here's a script that works:

"Hey, I'm researching [problem area] and trying to understand it better. I'm not selling anything, just learning. Would you have 15 minutes for a quick call? I'd really appreciate your perspective."

Most people say yes. Seriously. People love talking about their problems, especially to someone who's genuinely listening.

Step 3: Conduct Problem Interviews (The Right Way)

When you talk to these people, don't pitch your idea. Don't even mention it yet.

Ask about their problem:

• "Tell me about the last time you dealt with [problem]."
• "How do you handle [problem] today?"
• "What's the most frustrating part?"
• "Have you tried any solutions? What worked and what didn't?"
• "If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change?"

Listen more than you talk. Take notes. Look for patterns.

Here's what you're really trying to learn:

1. Is this problem real or imagined?
2. Is it painful enough that people actively seek solutions?
3. Are they already paying for alternatives (even bad ones)?
4. What language do they use to describe the problem?

That last one is gold for marketing later.

After 10 conversations, you'll know if your problem hypothesis is valid. If 8 out of 10 people say "yeah, that's annoying but not a big deal," your idea probably isn't viable. If 8 out of 10 say "oh my god, I'd pay anything to fix that," you're onto something.

Step 4: Test Willingness to Pay

Here's where it gets real. Saying "I'd pay for that" and actually paying are very different things.

You need to test if people will put money down. There are several ways to do this without building anything:

The landing page test (€20-50)

Create a simple landing page describing your solution. Include a "Buy Now" or "Get Early Access" button. Drive some traffic to it (Reddit posts, small Facebook ad, sharing in relevant communities).

You're not actually charging anyone yet. When they click the button, show a message like: "Thanks for your interest! We're still in development. Enter your email to be first in line."

Track how many visitors click that button. If 5% or more click, that's a strong signal. If almost nobody clicks, you have a positioning problem or a demand problem.

Tools for this: Carrd (€19/year), Typedream (free tier), or even Notion with Super.

The pre-sale test (€0)

Reach out to the people from your interviews who showed the most enthusiasm. Offer them a discounted "founding member" price if they pay upfront before you build.

This feels scary. What if they say no? What if you can't deliver?

But that's exactly why it works. If you can't convince a single person who already told you they have this problem to pay you, why would strangers pay later?

I know a founder who validated his entire SaaS this way. He got 5 people to pay €200 each before writing any code. That €1,000 proved demand and funded the initial development.

The concierge test (€0)

Offer to solve the problem manually for a few people. No technology, just you doing the work.

If your idea is "an app that finds the best flight deals," spend a week finding flight deals manually for 5 people. Charge them a small fee. See if they value the outcome enough to pay.

This tests demand and teaches you exactly what features matter most.

Step 5: Analyze the Competition (Seriously)

You've probably Googled your idea already. But have you really studied the competition?

Find every alternative solution. Direct competitors, indirect competitors, and the "do nothing" option.

For each one, answer:

• Who are their customers?
• What do reviews say (especially negative ones)?
• What's their pricing?
• What's missing that people complain about?

If there's zero competition, that's usually a bad sign. It often means there's no market, not that you've found a gap.

If there's heavy competition, that's not necessarily bad. It proves demand exists. Your job is to find an angle they're missing.

Check G2, Capterra, Product Hunt comments, Reddit threads, and Twitter complaints. People love complaining publicly about products. Those complaints are your roadmap.

When to Stop Validating and Start Building

Validation can become procrastination. At some point, you have to commit.

You're ready to build when:

• You've talked to at least 10 people with the problem
• At least 50% of them expressed strong interest (not polite interest)
• You've tested willingness to pay somehow (landing page, pre-sales, concierge)
• You have at least 3-5 people who said "tell me when it's ready"
• You understand why existing solutions aren't good enough

You're NOT ready if:

• You're still guessing who your customer is
• Nobody has offered to pay (or clicked a buy button)
• You can't explain why someone would choose you over alternatives
• Your only validation is "my friends think it's cool"

What to Build First (Hint: Less Than You Think)

Assuming validation went well, resist the urge to build everything.

Your first version should test one core assumption with the minimum possible effort. Not 10 features. Not a polished UI. Just the essential thing that proves or disproves your business.

For StudyLab, my AI quiz generator, the first version was embarrassingly basic. Upload a PDF, get some flashcards. That's it. No accounts, no payment, no fancy features. Just the core value proposition.

That simple version was enough to know if people actually wanted AI-generated study materials. They did. Then I added the rest.

If you're hiring a developer, this mindset saves you money. A focused MVP might cost €2,000-3,000. A feature-bloated "complete product" could cost €10,000+.

And here's the thing: half those features you think are essential? Users won't care about them. You'll only know which ones matter after people start using the product.

The Validation Checklist

Before you spend serious money, make sure you can check these boxes:

• I can describe the problem in one sentence without mentioning my solution
• I've talked to at least 10 people who have this problem
• At least 5 of them expressed strong interest in a solution
• I've tested willingness to pay (landing page, pre-sale, or concierge)
• I know who my competition is and why I'm different
• I have a list of people waiting to try my product
• My first version focuses on ONE core feature

If you can't check most of these, you're not ready to build. Go back and do more validation. It's cheaper than building the wrong thing.

Common Validation Mistakes

Asking leading questions. "Wouldn't it be great if..." leads people to agree. Ask neutral questions about their problems instead.

Only talking to friends. Friends are polite. They'll say your idea is great even if it isn't. Talk to strangers who have nothing to lose by being honest.

Falling in love with your solution. Stay flexible. The problem matters more than your specific solution. Be willing to pivot if validation suggests a different approach.

Ignoring negative signals. If people aren't excited, that's data. Don't rationalize it away. "They just don't understand yet" is usually copium.

Over-validating. At some point, you have to ship. Validation reduces risk, it doesn't eliminate it. Don't use it as an excuse to avoid the scary part.

What Validation Really Costs

Let's add it up:

Compare that to €5,000+ for development. Or worse, €5,000 for something nobody wants.

Two weeks and €100 to know if your idea has legs. That's the best investment you can make.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should validation take? Two weeks is usually enough for initial validation. You can always do more research, but don't let it become procrastination. Set a deadline and commit.

What if my idea is too innovative to validate? It's probably not. Even revolutionary products solve existing problems in new ways. Validate the problem even if you can't validate the exact solution.

Should I worry about people stealing my idea? No. Ideas are worthless without execution. The person you're interviewing almost certainly won't build your product. They have their own problems to deal with.

What if I can't find anyone with my problem? That's validation too, just not the kind you wanted. Either the problem is rare (small market), or you're looking in the wrong places, or the problem doesn't exist. All useful information.

Can I skip validation if I'm building for myself? Building for yourself is a form of validation, but it's limited. You might be an outlier. Still talk to other people who share your problem to see if your assumptions hold.

Next Steps

Validation isn't glamorous. It won't make a good "I built this in a weekend" Twitter thread.

But it works. The founders who take validation seriously waste less money, pivot faster, and build products people actually use.

So before you hire that developer or spend that €5,000, spend two weeks and €100 first. Your future self will thank you.

And if you've done the validation and you're ready to build? Let's talk. I help founders turn validated ideas into working products, typically in about 7 days. But only if you've done your homework first.

Got questions about validating your specific idea? Feel free to reach out. I'm happy to point you in the right direction.