So, you’ve got an idea. Maybe it came from a problem you’ve faced personally. Or maybe it’s a side hustle that’s been bubbling away for months.
But before you pour time, money, and mental energy into building something — you need to answer one crucial question:
👉 Is there demand for my startup idea?
If the answer is yes, you move forward with confidence. If not, you pivot early — before wasting resources. In this post, we’ll break down how to validate demand using simple, free research tactics. No budget? No problem. This is lean startup planning at its best — and it's exactly what GrowthApp was designed to support.
Why Demand Validation Is a Non-Negotiable First Step
Every successful startup solves a problem that real people care about — deeply enough to pay for a solution. It’s not about how cool your idea is. It’s about how needed it is.
This is where founders often go wrong: they build first, validate later. But validation should happen before the first line of code, logo, or product sketch.
Good demand research:
Confirms that people have the problem you’re solving
Reveals what solutions they’re currently using
Shows how often the problem occurs and how urgent it feels
Surfaces how willing people are to pay for something better
Step 1: Start with Keyword Research (Free + Powerful)
One of the fastest ways to check demand? See what people are already searching for.
Free tools like:
Google Keyword Planner
AnswerThePublic
Ubersuggest (free tier)
Exploding Topics
Google Trends
Look for:
High-volume, problem-driven keywords (e.g. “how to fix dry skin” vs. “best moisturiser”)
Niche or long-tail search terms that show pain points
Rising search trends over time
💡 GrowthApp’s Jobs-to-be-done template includes key questions to ask to simplify this process.
Step 2: Listen in on Community Conversations
Head to places where your potential customers are already talking about their challenges:
Reddit (search niche subreddits)
Facebook groups
Product Hunt discussions
Quora or Indie Hackers
Slack or Discord communities
Search for pain points, product complaints, feature requests, or questions that start with:
“Does anyone know how to…”
“I’m struggling with…”
“Is there a tool for…”
This kind of unfiltered language helps you identify unmet needs and “job-to-be-done” phrasing — which you can use to frame your value proposition later.
Step 3: Run a Quick Survey (Using Free Tools)
Once you’ve narrowed down your problem and audience, you can go direct. Use Typeform, Google Forms, or Tally to create a short, focused survey.
Ask:
What are your biggest challenges when it comes to [topic]?
Have you paid for anything to help solve this?
What would an ideal solution look like?
📢 Share the survey in founder groups, LinkedIn, Reddit, and anywhere your target customers hang out. Offer a free incentive (like early access or a digital freebie) to boost responses.
GrowthApp’s Idea Validation micro-course walks you through what to ask, how to phrase it, and how to analyse responses — even if you’ve never run research before.
Step 4: Launch a Landing Page (Without Building a Product)
Still not sure if demand exists? Create a simple landing page describing your offer, including a compelling headline, a few bullet points about benefits, and a clear call to action (e.g. “Join the waitlist,” “Get notified,” “Try for free”).
Then share it and see who signs up. Even 10–15 opt-ins from cold audiences can indicate traction.
👉 You can build a page with Carrd, Notion, or use one of GrowthApp’s startup landing page templates — no design experience required.
Bonus: GrowthApp’s Task Manager & Tracker lets you monitor your experiments and measure what’s working.
Step 5: Set SMART Goals Around Your Validation
Validation isn’t vague. You need to define what “proof” looks like for you and GrowthApp makes it easy with SMART goal templates.
Instead of:
“I want to know if people are interested”
Try:
“I want to get 50 survey responses and 20 waitlist sign-ups from my landing page by the end of the month.”
GrowthApp helps you create goals that are:
Specific (number of responses, users, clicks)
Measurable (using built-in progress tracking)
Achievable (based on your current time/resources)
Relevant (focused on your startup idea)
Time-bound (with a realistic deadline)
You'll find a Survey Creation micro-course and templates built into GrowthApp, ideal if you’re trying this for the first time.
Try GrowthApp Free: Validate Before You Build
If you’ve made it this far, you already care about doing things right, not just fast.
GrowthApp is designed to help you:
✅ Validate ideas before building anything
✅ Create SMART goals and track experiments
✅ Learn through micro-courses like “Idea Validation,” “Lean Canvas,” and “Market Research”
✅ Use plug-and-play templates for analysis, customer interviews, and more
✅ Stay on track with your task manager & personalised growth plan
And it’s all available in our free plan, which includes:
1 user
Growth plan preview
6 guided microcourses
10 startup tools & templates
Task manager and KPI trackers
🎯 Start for free and test your idea with clarity — not just hope.
Author: Guido Picus
Linkedin My book: Maverick Soul
Guido Picus is CEO of GrowthApp.co, helping first-time founders turn ideas into real businesses. He’s a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years of startup and marketing experience, including a successful exit to Deloitte Digital.
