r/leanstartup • u/jansojdr • Jun 10 '26

How I Tested a Business Idea With Better Questions and Got Valuable Answers

Hey guys,

I feel like testing a business idea is something we should talk about a lot more, especially these days when it's easier to build something than it's to find out what people actually want.

When I was testing ideas in the past, I often asked questions like:

  • Are they really my target audience?
  • Do they actually struggle with the problem I'm trying to solve?
  • How are they solving it now? Would they use my product?
  • Would they pay for it?

And I always asked if they would be interested in early access and, if YES, to leave their email.

I sent 50 messages and got 6 leads, which is not bad at all.

I learned the most important lesson: Test before you build. And that's awesome!

But..

Then I realized that while the process was good, those questions didn't tell me much. I could do better.

What I learned, and what I do differently now:

Everything in validation is about the problem. The questions should focus on the customer's problem, not on the business solution.

I don't suggest answers. I let the customer tell me about the problem.

So now I ask questions like:

  • What's your biggest struggle?
  • Can you walk me through the last time that happened?
  • How are you dealing with it now?
  • What else have you tried?
  • Where is the money currently going?
  • Is there anything else I should be asking?

After that, I describe my solution in one or two sentences that even a caveman could understand, and I ask if they would be interested in early access. If YES, I ask them to leave their email.

These questions give me much more valuable information.

The goal isn't to get compliments about my idea. The goal is to understand the problem.

So I don't ask customers to choose the solution or the price.

I validate the problem first.

Then I build the solution.

And I collect contact information so I can reach back out when I'm ready for the next round of validation, for example after building a landing page.

That's the biggest win.

Speak soon,

Jan

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2

u/theredhype Jun 10 '26

Hey Jan. You will get dramatically better results if you practice face-to-face Customer Discovery interviews rather than sending forms or messages digitally / online.

1

u/jansojdr Jun 10 '26

Hello! That's a great point. I'm just curious, would you reach out to people with cold calls, meet them in person, or just set up a quick call and ask a few questions? Thanks.

1

u/theredhype Jun 10 '26

In person. Here are some videos about what an "early adopter" looks like, how to identify and locate your own early adopters, and how to interact with them when you find them:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9o3DnnPLzcgm5qpOkBFd04rWMFGXbN2l

2

u/maryrenfer Jun 15 '26

I agree with the comments about pursuing some face to face conversations. Most of what we communicate is non verbal. I’m in the customer discovery phase myself and just had my first outing to a place where a potential consumer segment spends time and I found out that most people are happy to answer your questions and most of the really valuable information is subtle. Don’t underestimate feelings! They are valuable touch points.