How to Know If Your Product Idea Is Worth Pursuing (Before You Build It)
https://connect.meetnudge.com/
Most founders don’t fail because they couldn’t build the product.
They fail because they built the wrong thing — beautifully.
I’ve seen this play out more times than I can count. Smart founders. Strong execution. Months (sometimes years) of effort. And then silence when the product launches.
Not because the idea was bad — but because it was never properly tested.
Here’s what I’ve learned about validating an idea before you sink time, money, and energy into building it.
They fail because they built the wrong thing — beautifully.
I’ve seen this play out more times than I can count. Smart founders. Strong execution. Months (sometimes years) of effort. And then silence when the product launches.
Not because the idea was bad — but because it was never properly tested.
Here’s what I’ve learned about validating an idea before you sink time, money, and energy into building it.
1. If you can’t explain the problem simply, stop
Before you think about features, tech, or design, ask yourself:
What problem am I actually solving — and for who?
If you need five minutes and a slide deck to explain it, you’re not ready. The best early ideas are painfully clear. You should be able to say it in one sentence and have someone immediately say, “Yes, I have that problem.”
If they don’t — that’s your first signal.
What problem am I actually solving — and for who?
If you need five minutes and a slide deck to explain it, you’re not ready. The best early ideas are painfully clear. You should be able to say it in one sentence and have someone immediately say, “Yes, I have that problem.”
If they don’t — that’s your first signal.
2. Don’t ask people if they “like” the idea
Founders often validate ideas by asking questions like:
“Would you use this?”
“Do you think this is interesting?”
Those questions are useless.
People are polite. They’ll say yes. What matters is behaviour, not opinions.
Instead, look for signals:
“Would you use this?”
“Do you think this is interesting?”
Those questions are useless.
People are polite. They’ll say yes. What matters is behaviour, not opinions.
Instead, look for signals:
- Are people already solving this problem in clunky ways?
- Are they paying for alternatives?
- Are they actively complaining about it?
3. Your MVP should feel slightly uncomfortable
An MVP isn’t about shipping something impressive.
It’s about shipping the smallest possible version that lets you learn something real.
If your MVP feels “too basic” to launch, you’re probably doing it right. Early validation is about speed and feedback, not perfection.
The goal is to answer one question:
👉 Does this solve a problem people actually care about?
It’s about shipping the smallest possible version that lets you learn something real.
If your MVP feels “too basic” to launch, you’re probably doing it right. Early validation is about speed and feedback, not perfection.
The goal is to answer one question:
👉 Does this solve a problem people actually care about?
4. Early feedback beats internal certainty
One of the hardest things as a founder is separating belief from evidence.
You can be convinced you’re right — and still be wrong.
That’s why early feedback matters so much. A handful of honest conversations with real users will teach you more than months of internal debate.
This is also why pilots are so powerful. They let you test assumptions in the real world, with real businesses, before you scale anything.
(And yes — this is exactly why we’re running a small pilot at Nudge right now.)
You can be convinced you’re right — and still be wrong.
That’s why early feedback matters so much. A handful of honest conversations with real users will teach you more than months of internal debate.
This is also why pilots are so powerful. They let you test assumptions in the real world, with real businesses, before you scale anything.
(And yes — this is exactly why we’re running a small pilot at Nudge right now.)
5. Look for momentum, not applause
Applause is easy to get. Momentum is not.
A validated idea shows signs of pull:
A validated idea shows signs of pull:
- People ask when they can use it
- They’re willing to share data, time, or money
- They come back with follow-up questions
A final thought
Building a startup isn’t about being the fastest builder.
It’s about being the fastest learner.
If you can validate your idea early, you save yourself months of wasted effort — and give yourself a far better shot at building something that actually lasts.
It’s about being the fastest learner.
If you can validate your idea early, you save yourself months of wasted effort — and give yourself a far better shot at building something that actually lasts.