How did you determine proof of concept for your product?

Question

does everyone roll out an early MVP and hope or are those of you so convinced of your ideas value that you avoid all of that testing?

Kamea Leach · Accepted Answer

We actually built a human-managed (no software involved) to validate our idea and bring in revenue before building our software - which is launching today! :)

Atticus Li · Answer

For Jobsolv, I created a landing page and started having conversations with people I know. Someone paid $2K for our fully managed service. That's when I knew there is value to it.

Joep van den Bogaert · Answer

If you can get meetings with potential users before building anything, I would definitely do so. Sometimes its easier when you have something to show that might help them though..

Jonni Gani · Answer

I don't speak to real users first (playing with fire, I know).

Instead, I study the market by collecting anecdotal data from the internet.

After that, build an MVP :)

Shreya Gupta · Answer

Survey

Tornike Tsiramua · Answer

Researching the market, 1on1 meetings, interviews, surveys, checking data and reports.

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@jopie that makes a ton of sense.

Gurkaran Singh · Answer

Hey there, Gurkaran Singh here! As someone deeply entrenched in the tech startup world, I can definitely relate to the struggle of determining proof of concept for a product. In my experience, I've found that a strategic combination of rolling out an early MVP for testing and validation, while also having a strong belief in the value of your idea, can lead to a successful outcome. After all, a little testing never hurt anybody, right? 😉 It's all about finding that sweet spot between confidence in your concept and willingness to adapt based on real-world feedback. How about you? What's your approach to proving your product's worth?

Joep van den Bogaert · Answer

@dzaitzow since my product revolves around converting voice memos to high quality documentation, the smallest demo we showed to potential users was a single page web app with a record button and an output text area. No login or saving of data, just seeing if  the core idea would be useful to them. Quite far from an actual MVP still.

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@tornike_tsiramua1 do you typically do all of those things? and if so - how do you compile that data?

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@kamea Sounds amazing!

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@atticusli ya that proof of concept of people actually paying for a service feels like the biggest validator for me - like will they use this - do they like it enough to PAY for it - pretty great feeling!

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@thestarkster we just recently rolled out a contest to engage users that we're already using our V1 (or what can be seen as our V1 even though its an entirely new product/build/name) but the use case is similar. Gave them some cash prizes to participate/win - showcased what the product can do and then really looked at usage and outcomes from that - saw what they were able to build and put out in to the world.

Most are still using the product so we feel like that was a fun way to re-engage a community.

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@jgani and what did that first MVP look like?

Saranraj · Answer

Rolling Out the MVP First
Pros:

Feedback and Validation: Launching an MVP allows you to test your product idea with real users early on, gathering valuable feedback to validate your assumptions and adjust your product direction accordingly.
Reduced Costs and Risks: Developing an MVP requires fewer resources compared to a full product, reducing financial risk and allowing for iterative development based on user feedback.
Faster Time to Market: An MVP can be developed and launched more quickly, helping you to establish a presence in the market and start learning from user interactions sooner.
Attract Investors: An MVP can demonstrate the potential of your product to investors by showing that there is market demand, potentially making it easier to secure funding for further development.
Cons:

Limited Features: By definition, an MVP includes only the most essential features, which might not fully satisfy early adopters or convey the full vision of your product.
Misinterpretation of Feedback: There's a risk of misinterpreting user feedback or focusing on the wrong set of features for the next iterations, which can lead to misaligned product development.
Directly Making the Full Product
Pros:

Full Feature Set: Launching a full product allows you to offer a complete set of features from the start, potentially providing a better user experience and a stronger competitive edge.
Brand Perception: A more polished and complete product might create a better first impression, contributing to a stronger brand perception and customer loyalty.
Cons:

Higher Costs and Risks: Developing a full product without initial user feedback involves higher costs and risks, including the risk of building something that doesn't meet market needs.
Slower Time to Market: The development cycle for a full product is longer, which can delay your market entry and potentially allow competitors to capture market share first.
Less Flexibility: Making significant changes to a full product based on user feedback can be more challenging and costly compared to an MVP, which is designed to be iterated upon.

How did you determine proof of concept for your product?

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