Testing your idea for under ₹1,000.

Never invest lakhs in an untested idea. Smart founders test cheaply first: they find out whether real people will pay before building anything big. Today you'll learn how to test any idea with very little money.

The goal of testing

You're trying to answer one question: "Will enough people pay enough money for this?" Opinions ("nice idea!") don't count. Only actions count: pre-orders, payments, sign-ups.

Cheap tests

Good questions to ask customers

• "Tell me about the last time you faced this problem."
• "How do you solve it now? What does it cost you?"
• "What's the most annoying part?"
• "If something fixed this, what would it need to have?"

Avoid "Would you buy my product?" People say yes to be polite.

Measure honestly

Before testing, set a success target: "If 30 people pre-order within 10 days, I'll continue." Then respect the result. If you miss it, change the idea (the price, the audience, the product) and test again, rather than ignoring the data.

Pivoting is normal

Many successful businesses changed direction after testing. A home baker who found cakes didn't sell well but cookies sold out has learned something valuable, not failed.