"I spent 6 months building something nobody needs"

Have you ever watched someone build an elaborate sandcastle at low tide? They make towers, carve intricate moats, and add perfect little seashell windows – only to watch helplessly as the waves wash it all away.

If only they'd checked the water line first.

That’s how we feel when we see this ⬇️

Founders get seduced by the thrill of building. They hunker down in dev sprints, obsess over pixel-perfect designs and massive feature lists.

Several months and half their runway later, they launch to crickets and tumbleweeds. They've been solving a problem nobody had.

Your brilliant idea is just a hypothesis until proven otherwise. And proving it doesn't require months of development – it requires smart validation.

And how do you do that, you ask?

Test, test, before you invest (& other lessons)

At Lumi, we've helped dozens of founders interrupt this cycle before it drains their resources. Here’s how we do it ⬇️

→ Test like crazy

No product idea should survive first contact with users unchanged. We create lightweight experiments to validate core assumptions before writing a single line of production code.

→ Embrace early versions

The earlier you can get feedback, the less you'll waste. We help founders get comfortable with showing unpolished prototypes to gather insights when they're most valuable.

→ Build in small, validated increments

Instead of betting everything on one big launch, we help teams ship small, tested features to real users, creating a feedback loop that guides development.

→ Set validation thresholds in advance

Decide what success looks like before you test. "We need 20% of visitors to sign up" is a clear benchmark that prevents moving goalposts after seeing results.

→ Consider concierge solutions first

Before building software, can you deliver the service manually? Many successful startups started by doing things that don't scale.

→ Run multiple experiments in parallel

Don't put all your eggs in one validation basket. Test different angles, messaging, and features simultaneously to find what resonates fastest.

→ Track behaviour, not opinions

What users do matters more than what they say. Pre-orders, sign-ups, and engagement metrics reveal true interest better than positive feedback.

→ Budget for learning, not just building

Allocate time and money specifically for validation experiments. And remember a "failed" validation test isn't a failure – it's the cheapest education you'll ever get.

5 ways to validate your idea

1️⃣ Landing pages & smoke tests

Create a page pitching your product as if it exists. Use tools like Webflow or Framer, drive traffic with ads, and measure sign-ups. If people click "Buy," you're onto something.

2️⃣ Concierge MVPs

Deliver your service manually before building software. Use spreadsheets and email to coordinate, watch where users struggle, and learn what matters most.

3️⃣ Fake door tests

Add a button for a feature that doesn't exist yet. When users click, capture their interest with a "Coming soon" message and email sign-up. High engagement = strong validation.

4️⃣ Clickable mockups

Create interactive prototypes that feel real. Put them in front of users and watch what happens. Their struggles will reveal a whole lot.

5️⃣ Pre-sales

The ultimate validation: get customers to pay before you build. Look for 10%+ conversion rates, pre-orders, and organic sharing as strong signals to proceed.