As a spooniepreneur, you are working with limited reserves of energy. Every minute counts and you do not have time for countless attempts at trying to validate a business idea.
Your energy and time are valuable.
Burnout will happen if you attempt to do too much when you’re already tapped out.
That’s why validation has to happen first. You can’t skip this step because if you start building something before you validate, you will deplete your energy reserves and have nothing to show for it. But if you validate or confirm people are interested in the product/service before you build, you’ll conserve your time, money and energy.
Here is the gentlest, least stressful way to do so.
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Step 1: Validate the Problem, Not the Product
Before you begin to build anything, ask yourself the following questions:
• Are people talking about this issue/problem?
• Are people asking for help without you having to tell them there is a solution?
• Does this problem drain their energy, income or peace of mind?
You’re not selling anything yet.
You are listening to see if the problem exists.
Once you confirm the problem is real, you won’t have to “sell” anyone anything. They’ll come to you.
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Step 2: Get a “Soft Yes”
Instead of launching your full product or service, invite users to take a low-risk action:
• “I’m considering creating something to assist with ___ – would you like to know when I’ve completed it?”
• A small “wait list”
• Low cost pilot or early access
While interest is great, taking action is better.
Any action by a user is validation, regardless of how small.
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Step 3: Provide It as Simply as Possible at First
You don’t need to create systems, platforms, etc. to provide value.
Provide it simply:
• Manually deliver it
• Keep it imperfect
• Learn from people what they really need
If people will pay for the basic/simple version of your product or service, that is your “green light”.
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Step 4: Allow Data to Make Decisions Instead of Guilt
After testing your product or service for a brief period, ask yourself the following questions:
• Did people respond to your test?
• Was the experience draining or did it align with your values?
• Did you gain knowledge and insight without completely exhausting yourself?
If it was a no, that doesn’t mean you failed. It means you conserved your energy and learned more about yourself.
That is a win.
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We’ve partnered with Launchevity to help support spooniepreneurs by handling the technical heavy lifting of the steps above.
You have limited energy reserves. We get that and so do they.
With Launchevity, you won’t have to wrestle with stressful website code or complex integrations. They’re a marketing and design firm that specializes in helping spooniepreneurs get established without burnout.
How They Operationalize the “Gentle Approach”:
Where Launchevity Fits In
With Launchevity, you won’t get a generic launch package. Instead, they’ll provide you with a specialized “Validation Kit” that will help you execute Step 2 (The Soft Yes):
- The “Soft Yes” Landing Page: They will design and build the simple “soft yes” sales page mentioned in Step 2, allowing you to capture interest immediately.
- No-Stress, Flexible Design: To ensure the process is “without stress or pressure”, their workflow is designed to be done when your body allows it.
- No time limits to get it done.
- No physically draining Zoom marathons required.
- Your Choice: If you want to Zoom, they’ll Zoom. If you prefer for them to work while you rest, they’ll do that. If you can get them the material fast, they’ll work fast. If you need to slow down the pace, they’ll go slower.
- The “Green Light” Analytics: They set up the basic tracking you need to let data make decisions for you, removing the emotional weight of the launch. Then, when you’ve validated the idea, they’ll get to work on the build. Or they can help you complete the task yourself.
Your Next Low-Energy Step:
Launchevity is here to help you build only what you need, in the right order, so you can conserve energy.
If you have an idea and want to see if it’s worth pursuing, click here to see a sample “Spoonie Validation Page” and let them help you launch confidently on your own timeline.