Steve Jobs didn’t believe in surveys.
According to him, customers didn’t know what they wanted. If he wanted to innovate, he needed to look elsewhere.
This approach worked well for Jobs — he built the foundations of a multitrillion-dollar empire…
But there’s a slight problem: you and I aren’t Steve Jobs.
We haven’t earned the right to ignore the market. And so, before we build, we need proof of concept.
Your opinion is irrelevant. It’s the customers who count.
So, as early as possible, try to collect expressions of interest for your idea.
Cheap, fast ways include:
• Email waitlists
• Surveys
• Online groups
Free expressions of interest are good. Paid ones are even stronger signals.
The more interest you get, the more effort you can justify pouring into the project.
One exception: if you know, from first principles, that something will compound, there’s no need for feedback. But if you’re going to bet on that, you’d better be sure.
Iterate fast. Validate first. Build second.