How many signals do I need before building?

Aim for three independent signals: 1) 10+ buyer interviews confirming the same painful job, 2) at least 50 qualified email signups from a landing page test, and 3) 3–5 people willing to pre‑pay or book a paid pilot.

Are cold emails still effective?

Yes, when they’re specific and helpful. Reference a trigger event (e.g., a job posting or a public changelog) and ask one question about their current workaround.

What if I can’t find interviewees?

You may have chosen a market you can’t reach. Switch to a segment where you can access real buyers through communities, your network, or public signals.

The trap: building the thing before proving the job

Most of us start by opening a code editor. It feels productive. It also postpones the hardest part: proving that buyers feel an acute pain and have budget, urgency, and access to solve it. The method below forces those proofs upfront.

Step 1 — Define the painful job in buyer language

Write one sentence that names the job and the constraint. “A head of customer support needs to quantify churn reasons without hiring an analyst.” Avoid tool verbs like “dashboard” or “automation.” Jobs are outcomes.

Step 2 — Run 10 buyer interviews (not idea pitches)

Keep it simple: ask about their last attempt to solve the problem, the workaround, the friction, and what a good outcome looks like. If they never tried to solve it, you’re not addressing a priority. Use our Go‑to‑Market Strategy Checklist to map who actually buys vs who uses.

Step 3 — Launch a one‑page smoke test

A clear headline (“Turn support tickets into churn insights, automatically”), benefits tied to the job, one visual, pricing anchor, and a single CTA. Drive a small, targeted audience (50–200 visitors). Track qualified signups, not vanity clicks. Pair this with the SEO checklist once you see fit‑signals.

Step 4 — Offer a concierge pilot

Manually deliver the outcome for 2–3 prospects. Charge a small, flat fee. You’ll discover process snags and the minimum feature set your future product needs — not the that’d‑be‑nice features your peers mention on social.

Step 5 — Validate price with a real number

Ask for a budget range and propose a number confidently. If everyone says “sounds cheap,” you’re underpricing. If everyone negotiates down, you’ve anchored too high or haven’t tied value to a financial outcome.

Signals that actually predict traction

Buyers reschedule interviews instead of ghosting
Reply‑rates >10% on specific outreach
At least 10% of landing visitors opt‑in with a work email
2–3 paid pilots closed in the same quarter

If you want the long‑game, set up a publishing cadence alongside validation: try our No‑Drama SEO Content Calendar.

Validate Your SaaS Idea Without Writing Code