Before committing.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH IN ORDER
Does the problem exist Do enough people have it Do they care enough to act Would they pay Can we deliver it Can we reach them
WHY IN THAT ORDER
Each is cheaper to test than the next, and failing early saves everything after.
HOW TO TEST WHETHER THE PROBLEM EXISTS
Conversations with people who should have it.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Whether they recognise the problem unprompted.
WHAT IT MEANS IF YOU MUST EXPLAIN IT
Either it is not a problem, or the timing is wrong.
HOW TO TEST WHETHER THEY CARE
What they have already tried What they spend What workarounds exist
HOW TO TEST WILLINGNESS TO PAY
Ask for a commitment.
HOW TO TEST DELIVERY
Do it manually, once, for one customer.
WHAT THAT REVEALS
The real cost and difficulty.
HOW TO TEST REACH
Try to find ten of them, deliberately.
WHY THAT TEST
If finding ten is hard, finding hundreds is not a plan.
WHAT TO DECIDE IN ADVANCE
What result would cause you to stop.
WHY IN ADVANCE
Afterwards, every result can be interpreted favourably.
WHAT TO AVOID
Researching until you find support for what you wanted.
WHAT TO RECORD
What you learned, including the discouraging parts.
