u/AdExotic6745

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to improve how I validate early-stage digital product ideas before investing too much time into building.

One challenge I’m running into is that the people around me don’t represent the audience I’m trying to understand, so direct feedback from my personal circle isn’t reliable.

I’m curious how others approach this stage:

• How do you figure out if people would actually pay for something, not just say they like it?
• What signals do you look for before deciding to build further?
• Do you rely more on conversations, communities, landing pages, ads, or something else?
• How do you test willingness to pay when you don’t have access to your target users directly?

I’m specifically interested in practical approaches people have used successfully (or mistakes to avoid).

Appreciate any insights or frameworks you’ve found useful.