While watching videos from successful entrepreneurs, I heard something that struck me as crucial for today’s digital businesses:

Sell your product before you build it, so you can prove there’s real interest.

Below you’ll find the two strategies I picked up from those videos for validating a product quickly—without sinking too much time into it.

1. Validation with Ads

The first time I saw this approach was on this podcast, The Diary Of A CEO.

The guest, Daniel Priestley, explained that we live in an era where the world moves incredibly fast.

• If you run a business, you’ll need to pivot to new products, new markets, new territories, or new age groups.

• That means you must prototype, test, and gather data very quickly.

So, when you launch a product or a new business, you should validate your ideas as fast as possible before investing time in building.

The Situational Model

Priestley suggests using what he calls a situational model:

1. Understand people’s current situation.

2. Define the situation they want to reach.

3. Identify the obstacles in between.

How to Apply It

1. Create 20–30 Meta Ads variations.

2. Each ad clicks through to a landing page that says:

   “This product isn’t available in your area yet, but you can join the waiting list.”

3. To join, prospects fill out a form with these questions:

• Tell us a bit about your current situation—which option best describes you today?

• Where would you like to be? What’s your ideal outcome for this product or service?

• What has stopped you so far? What do you think has been the biggest obstacle?

• What options are you considering right now to achieve that result?

• What do you consider a fair price to pay?

• Below what price would it feel so cheap you’d doubt the quality?

• Above what price would it feel too expensive to consider?

That way you can validate the product, service, or business before you build it.

2. Validation Without Ads

A few days later I watched this video by another entrepreneur, William Brown, who shared something very similar—but he skips paid ads and does manual outreach instead.

What You Need

• No product built yet.

• No email list or existing audience.

• No ad budget required.

• Only time and the willingness to reach out to people.

The Secret: Sell Before You Build

• The most common mistake is focusing on the product first.

• Instead, find people with an urgent, expensive problem.

• Present a clear, compelling solution → close sales fast.

Key Mindset: Forget the Product, Focus on Sales

Most creators fixate on:

• Product

• Niche

• Messaging

But the real pillars are:

1. Identify an expensive problem.

2. Craft a strong sales argument.

3. Close the sale quickly.

Step by Step

1. Research online communities (Reddit, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).

2. Spot common, costly problems.

3. Create a simple, direct value proposition.

4. Contact people and ask a direct question about their problem.

5. Explain how you can help.

6. Book a call and sell your help (coaching, consulting, etc.).

7. Deliver one‑on‑one, record everything, then use those recordings to build the product.

The “Reverse Pitch”

• No aggressive selling needed.

• If the problem costs more than $5,000 and you charge less to fix it, buying from you becomes a logical decision.

• The client asks to buy—you don’t chase them.

Pro Tip: Validate the Problem Before Building

• If you can’t find communities talking about the problem, it’s probably not real or urgent.

• Switch niches or look for a clearer pain point.

Conclusion

1. Don’t build a product before you sell it.

2. Find an urgent, valuable problem.

3. Reach out directly to the people affected.

4. Offer a tailored solution.

5. Charge a fair price (minimum $5,000).

6. Then create the product based on that experience.

What do you think of these strategies?