Essay

A simple way to validate your startup idea

Justin Jackson · justinjackson.ca Free Beginner

Jackson's test is blunt and useful: can you name five specific real people who need this and would buy it. If you cannot, you have not validated, you have guessed. It is a five minute reality check that matches our short answer almost word for word.

  • Write down five real people by name who need it
  • If you cannot name them, you are still guessing
  • Being connected to the customer's community is the real signal

The question it answers

  1. How do I know when I've validated enough to actually start building?

Read with it

  1. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  2. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  3. The essay that put 'product-market fit' into the startup vocabulary. Read it for the gut-level description of what PMF feels... pmarchive.com Essay · ~15 min read The Only Thing That Matters Marc Andreessen
  4. The permission slip to recruit users by hand, do things manually, and deliver 'insanely great' experiences to your first few... paulgraham.com Essay · ~15 min read Do Things That Don't Scale Paul Graham
  5. 200+ candid conversations with Indian founders and investors on how they actually found their idea, spotted a trend, and... Apple Podcasts Podcast · podcast series (45-90 min episodes) The Neon Show (formerly 100x Entrepreneur) Siddhartha Ahluwalia
  6. Video · ~13 min How to Plan an MVP Michael Seibel (YC)
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