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PRODUCT · IDEA VALIDATION

Idea validation services for startups

Idea validation tests whether a business idea solves a real problem that enough people will pay to solve, before you build. Founders validate a new company; established teams validate a new product line.

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Led by Roger GrekosCo-Founder, product

The drawing shows a test landing page and, under it, what the page measures from visits to paid deposits, against a go line set before launch.

Our idea validation service runs that test with you through market validation research, customer interviews and smoke tests. It ends in a clear go, pivot or stop decision, with evidence you can show a co-founder or an investor.

01SOUND FAMILIAR?

Signs your idea needs validation first

  • SYMPTOM 01

    Friends and family love the idea

    Usually means: Kind feedback from people who know you, not evidence that strangers will pay.

  • SYMPTOM 02

    We are about to hire developers on a hunch

    Usually means: Building the whole product is the most expensive way to test an idea.

  • SYMPTOM 03

    We cannot say who would buy this first

    Usually means: The customer is a broad category, not a group you can reach this month.

  • SYMPTOM 04

    Competitors exist and we do not know if that is good or bad

    Usually means: Nobody has checked what customers use today and why they would switch.

  • SYMPTOM 05

    Investors asked for proof of demand and we have none

    Usually means: Interest has not been turned into a signal such as a waitlist, a pre-order or a letter of intent.

Led by Roger GrekosCo-Founder, product

Thinking of building something new? Test the market before you hire a single developer.

Tell us about your project (opens our project form in a new tab)

02WHAT WE DO

What our idea validation service covers

Each step tests a different risk, cheapest first. The market validation process comes first and checks the demand; the later steps test your solution and its price. If you want to run it yourself, our guide explains how to validate a business idea.

  • Market validation research

    We size the problem with desk research: who has it, how they solve it today, what they spend and which alternatives they would leave. This frames who to interview and what to test.

  • Customer interviews

    We find and interview people in your target group about the last time they hit the problem. We listen for pain, current workarounds and money already being spent.

  • Smoke tests and landing pages

    We put a simple offer in front of real prospects, such as a landing page, a waitlist or a pre-order, and measure what they do. Behaviour tells you more than stated interest.

  • Product market validation for an existing product

    If you already have a product, we test a new segment, market or offer against the one you serve today. We use interviews and targeted offers instead of a full launch.

  • A go, pivot or stop decision

    We weigh the evidence against the criteria agreed at the start and give a clear recommendation. A go comes with a first scope, a pivot names what to test next and a stop explains why.

  • A first scope if the answer is go

    If the evidence says go, we outline the smallest product that serves the first customers. Your own engineers can build it, or ours can, through MVP development for startups.

Illustration of a decision rule written before launch, with example numbers

03IN BRIEF

Idea validation, market validation or product-market fit?

Idea validation tests whether your particular solution answers a problem that reachable buyers will pay to solve. Market validation is the part of it that looks only at the market: whether enough people have the problem and the budget, whatever the solution. Product-market fit comes later, after launch, when customers keep using and paying for the product without being pushed. The three happen in that order and answer different questions, so each needs different evidence. Market validation relies on research, interviews and offers such as a landing page or a pre-order. Idea validation adds prototypes and concierge tests of your solution. Product-market fit shows up in retention, referrals and how customers would feel if the product went away. Our guide answers "What is product market fit?" and covers those signals. Skipping the first two is how teams end up searching for fit with a product nobody needed. After a go, software product discovery services shape the first features.

How we make a go, pivot or stop decision

We make the decision against criteria written down before the first test, so the result cannot be bent to fit hopes after the fact. At the start we agree with you what evidence would count as a go. For example: how many target customers describe the problem unprompted, join a waitlist from a cold offer or accept a paid pilot. The thresholds depend on your market and price, so we set them together rather than borrow someone else's benchmark. A go means the core assumptions held, and it comes with a first scope. A pivot means the problem is real but the customer, the offer or the price needs to change, and it names the next test. A stop means the evidence does not support the idea, with a short write-up of why. Usability testing services then check that people can use the first prototype.

04STEP BY STEP

How a validation project runs

  1. 01

    Audit

    We turn your idea into a list of assumptions about the customer, the problem, the price and the channel. Before any testing starts, we agree the evidence that would count as a go.

  2. 02

    Build

    We run the research, the interviews and the smoke tests, and share results as they come in. If an early test fails badly, we stop and talk before spending more.

  3. 03

    Ship

    We present the evidence and the go, pivot or stop call. It comes with a first scope, the next test or a short write-up of why to stop.

05ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS

Ways to validate with us

  • Validation review

    A senior review of the evidence you already have.

    You get

    • A review of your interviews, tests and data
    • The gaps and the next test to run
    • Written notes after the session

    Typical shape

    Working sessions as needed

    Quoted after a short call

    Ask for a quote

  • Validation sprint

    We run the full test and give you the call.

    You get

    • An assumption list and agreed go criteria
    • Market validation research
    • Customer interviews
    • A smoke test or pre-order test
    • A go, pivot or stop recommendation

    Typical shape

    A fixed scope

    Quoted after a short call

    Ask for a quote

  • Validation alongside your team

    A product person working with your founders while you test several ideas or markets.

    You get

    • A test plan for each idea
    • Interviews and tests run in parallel
    • A decision log for every idea tested

    Typical shape

    Set days each week

    Quoted after a short call

    Ask for a quote

06WHO IT IS FOR

Who idea validation is for

Roger Grekos

07LED BY

Who runs the validation

Roger Grekos leads validation work at BrainStormers and keeps every call tied to evidence from real buyers.

A clear no before you build is a good result. The expensive no is the one you hear after launch.

Roger GrekosCO-FOUNDER · PRODUCT
Roger Grekos
Co-Founder, Product, Project & Scale
Background
Roger co-founded BrainStormers and has led product for 12+ years across SaaS, fintech, media, gaming and services. At Find.co he led product strategy for a media portfolio whose revenue grew from $22M to $55M in three years; at PayEm he took a procurement platform to $1M ARR in 12 months.
Roger's profileLinkedIn

08

Related services

More from Product management consulting for startups, plus the engineering service that builds what you validate.

09

Insights on idea validation

10FAQ

Questions about idea validation

What is startup idea validation?

Startup idea validation, also called business idea validation, tests the riskiest assumptions behind an idea before building it. The assumptions are that a specific group has the problem, cares enough to act and would pay for a solution. It uses interviews, research and small tests such as landing pages or pre-orders, and ends with a go, pivot or stop decision.

What does market validation research involve?

Market validation research checks that a market exists for your idea: enough reachable buyers with the problem and the budget to solve it. It combines desk research on market size and current alternatives, interviews with target customers, and tests. The tests measure behaviour, such as how many people respond to a real offer or a price.

How long does it take to reach a go or no-go decision?

It depends on how quickly we can reach people in your target market and how many assumptions need testing. A clear audience you can reach through existing networks moves fastest. We set the end date and the go criteria at the start, so the project ends with a decision rather than an open question.

Can you validate an idea without building anything?

Yes. Most early validation needs no product at all. Interviews test the problem, and a landing page or waitlist tests interest. A pre-order or letter of intent tests willingness to pay, and a manual concierge version tests whether the solution helps. Building comes after the evidence.

What counts as proof of market?

Proof of market is evidence that buyers act, not only agree. Strong signals include pre-orders, paid pilots, signed letters of intent and repeat use of a manual version. Weaker signals are waitlist joins and survey answers. Compliments in interviews do not count, however warm they sound.

What happens if the answer is no?

You get a written summary of what was tested, what the evidence showed and why the idea does not hold up as it stands. The research may also point to a nearby problem or segment worth testing instead. A clear no at this stage costs far less than a full build would have.

Do you validate ideas outside software, too?

Yes. The methods are industry-agnostic: interviews, market research, offers and pre-orders work for physical products, services and marketplaces as well as apps. What changes is how we reach people and what a test looks like, such as a pre-order for hardware or a pilot for a service.

Led by Roger GrekosCo-Founder, product

Talk to Roger about idea validation

20-minute intro call

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NEXT STEP

Test the idea first

Tell us the idea, who you think it is for and what you have learned so far. We will suggest the cheapest test that gets you to a go, pivot or stop.

You’ll talk to Roger

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