Do You Validate Your Business Ideas Before Creating an App?
Hey Product Hunters!
I’ve seen a lot of people jump straight into building an app without validating the idea first. Some succeed, but many end up realizing too late that there’s little demand for their product.
So, I’m curious - how do you validate your business ideas before diving into development?
Do you:
Conduct market research and competitor analysis?
Build a landing page and run ads to gauge interest?
Interview potential users to understand their pain points?
Launch an MVP and iterate based on feedback?
Or do you use other methods? If yes, what are they?
Or, on the flip side, do you believe in the “build first, validate later” approach? Maybe you’ve found that true innovation comes from just creating and seeing what sticks.
I’d love to hear your experiences - what has worked (or not worked) for you? Let’s discuss!
Replies
I did these two:
I am doing build & evaluate, constant A/B testing
If it's your first rodeo, I think a good rule of thumb is to create something that solves one of your problems :)
There are so many products/apps out there for everything now. This would make you want to do research and analysis, however, things are easier to build these days. Making an MVP or a landing page to gauge interest may be a better use of time. A few years ago I would say research, but now I say just build it. You will spend about the same amount of time validating your idea as you would making an MVP today (in most cases at least).
For @Desk.Help the challenge isn't if websites/companies need a Help Center, the challenge is finding the customers who know they need it but don't want to be overwhelmed with setup. I launched a couple of months ago and have gotten some helpful feedback from customers and recently implemented some AI updates to make the setup process that much easier. If I would have tried to copy the competitions features or wait til I knew if there was a need, I would still be building up to a launch and researching. Since it's already built now, I can get real customer feedback and make changes without so much guesswork.
Nautical Calculator
I do all of these! For instance, I often create tools for my own use. In these cases, I prioritize building a MVP first. With the help of AI and no-code tools, this process has become much easier. However, when I focus on thorough market research and competitor analysis, I often find myself producing nothing but a research report. It can be challenging to identify a niche that hasn't already been explored.
Honestly? Sometimes I just build a super basic MVP and launch fast. I get better feedback from real users than from theoretical research.
There are just so many apps out right now —
standing out really comes down to delivering something unique and innovative in the UX.
@elenat Execution is where things get real. Theoretically, it's easy to say 'just validate and iterate,' but real-world execution is a different game. Finding the right users, getting meaningful feedback, and iterating without burning out—these are the actual challenges.
In my experience, user testing isn’t just about asking the right questions but also about the timing and approach. Ask too early, and users might not care. Ask too late, and you’ve already built something they don’t want. Sometimes, users don’t engage as expected, feedback loops break, or data contradicts intuition.
I’m also stuck in this loop—figuring it out step by step and facing the same pain points you mentioned. Would love to hear how others have tackled these execution challenges!
The products I have built so far, I built them by placing myself as a user. Once I get the overall outline of a product that satisfies my need as a user, I talk to my co-founder. And this discussion is crucial. Either my co-founder feels the same way as I do, he doesn't feel at all, or he feels some points. That discussion creates the architecture of the central product. We divide the product into various outcome segments, center around a core business model, and then take 1 outcome that we think we can market the best. We create our go-to-market strategy for that particular outcome and then hold informal conversations with people whom we might attract via our go-to-market strategy to have a quick and informal survey.
Once we have that, we then create a landing, circulate the landing to the same surveyed people and receive feedback. Based on the feedback, we finalize our product and launch.
Even after all this, most products don't work at all. But whenever we find a challenge, we pivot our product thinking from a single user and do the same process all over again before we hit the mark. This is where quick A/B and quick pivots come in handy. Either it will work or you have to pull down the curtain.
We are about to launch a product soon, and we have no idea how it will perform in the real world.
I have created a template of questions that I try to answer before buying a domain name, i hope it helps :)
Are people talking about the problem or looking for a solution?
Will people pay to solve this problem?
Who will be our primary customer?
Can we develop a solution that addresses the core problem within 2-3 days?
Will this solution add value either by saving time or money for the user?
How will we reach our primary customers to get feedback and first 10 sales?
How will we collect testimonials from early adopters?
What data do we need to track to gain insights?
How can we bring 1,000+ users to our website?
Hey Elena, long time no see!
From someone who built his first very business with no market validation (don't laugh, guys): a 3 months-plan with a low budget.
Step 1: Laser-Focused Market Research (Week 1-2)
Before spending a dime, I’d analyze search trends (Google Trends, Ahrefs, Semrush), social conversations (Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn), and competitor reviews (G2, Capterra) to identify pain points, demand, and existing solutions. A quick way to gauge interest? Create a few LinkedIn posts or Reddit threads asking about the problem—engagement levels will tell me if it resonates.
Step 2: Smoke Test with a Landing Page (Week 2-4)
I’d set up a simple landing page using Carrd or Webflow, positioning the app as if it already exists. A strong value proposition + a CTA like “Join the waitlist” would measure real interest. Then, I’d run $100-$300 worth of Google Search and Meta ads targeting potential users. If sign-up rates are low (<10%), it’s a red flag.
Step 3: Cold Outreach & User Interviews (Week 3-6)
I’d scrape a list of 100-200 potential users (via LinkedIn, Apollo) and send personalized DMs/emails asking about their struggles. A few 1:1 calls can reveal whether people would actually pay for a solution. If I can’t find 10-15 people eager to test it, the idea likely lacks traction.
Step 4: MVP, but “No-Code” First (Week 6-12)
If validation is strong, I’d create a no-code MVP using Bubble, Glide, or Zapier automation instead of spending months on development. This way, I get real users, real feedback, and real retention insights before writing a single line of code.
That's the kind of thing I deploy for my B2B customers.
Of course, things are a bit different for you Elena, since you already have your product.
Hope this helps, I know many of you love building but fear market validation. Please, don't avoid it.
I think all the processes listed in your questions could work for different scenarios because I also believe there could be a standard for predictable results... meanwhile, this isn't a one-size-fits-all thing.
For my self, I have seen more of the 4th one.
People build MVPs and then iterate based on feedback and they were successful.