Validation SOPs › Solution Validation

Stage 3 of 9

Solution Validation SOPs

Solution validation tests whether people want your answer to the problem, measured by what they do: sign-ups, deposits, pre-orders and time spent with a prototype. Compliments don't count. The 15 SOPs below go from cheap to costly. A concept test or landing page test costs a weekend; a Wizard of Oz test or concierge test lets you deliver the service by hand before you automate it; a pre-order campaign asks for money, the strongest signal there is.

All 15 solution validation SOPs

• Concept Testing SOP

  A concept testing SOP for founders: turn 2 to 4 solution ideas into concept boards, test them with 100+ target customers and pick a winner before any prototype.

  Solution Validation Beginner $100-500

• Solution Sketching Workshop SOP

  A solution sketching workshop SOP: run a one-day session where 4 to 7 people sketch alone, vote on ideas and pick one solution to test with customers in a week.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $0-300

• Prototype Testing SOP

  A prototype testing SOP for founders: build a clickable prototype, test it with 5 target users per round, score tasks and SUS, fix and retest before you code.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $200-800

• Landing Page Test SOP

  A landing page test SOP for founders: build a one-page offer in a day, send 300+ targeted visitors, and judge demand by signups and a second step.

  Solution Validation Beginner $100-500

• Wizard of Oz Testing SOP

  A Wizard of Oz testing SOP: give users a working front end, do the 'automated' work by hand behind it, and learn if they come back before you build.

  Solution Validation Advanced $200-1000

• Pre-Order Campaign SOP

  A pre-order campaign SOP for founders: set an early-bird price, take payments or deposits before you build, stay within consumer law and judge demand.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $200-1000

• Concierge Testing SOP

  A concierge testing SOP for founders: deliver your solution by hand to 3-10 paying customers, time every step and learn what to automate first.

  Solution Validation Advanced $500-2000

• Fake Door Testing SOP

  A fake door testing SOP: add a button for a feature or offer that does not exist yet, measure who clicks, tell them honestly and decide what to build.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $0-500

• Crowdfunding Validation SOP

  A crowdfunding validation SOP for founders: set a goal from real costs, build a pre-launch list, run a 30-day campaign and read who backed you and why.

  Solution Validation Advanced $1000-5000

• Solution Value Proposition Testing SOP

  Solution value proposition testing SOP: compare 3-5 promises with five-second tests, preference polls and small ad splits, then pick one to lead with.

  Solution Validation Beginner $100-500

• Feature Prioritization SOP

  A feature prioritization SOP for founders: survey customers with the Kano model, score opportunities, rank with RICE and draw the cut line for version one.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $0-300

• Solution Storyboarding SOP

  A solution storyboarding SOP: draw 6-8 panels of a customer using your solution, walk 5-8 real customers through them and fix the story before any design.

  Solution Validation Beginner $0-200

• Competitor Solution Analysis SOP

  A competitor solution analysis SOP: use 3-5 rival solutions yourself, score them per job step, mine their reviews and confirm the gap with customers.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $0-300

• Solution Name Testing SOP

  A solution name testing SOP: shortlist 5-8 product names, run spelling, recall and association tests with real customers, then clear the winner legally.

  Solution Validation Beginner $100-300

• Solution Explainer Video SOP

  A solution explainer video SOP: script a 60-90 second video, check that viewers can retell what it does, then share it and measure watch time and signups.

  Solution Validation Intermediate $0-1000

Other validation stages

• Customer Discovery

  Find out who has the problem and how they live with it today.

• Problem Validation

  Prove the problem is frequent, painful and worth paying to fix.

• Product-Market Fit

  Measure whether real users keep coming back and would miss you.

• Business Model Validation

  Check that the money side works: pricing, acquisition cost and margins.

• Technical Validation

  Make sure you can build it, run it and keep it secure.

• Financial Validation

  Turn the idea into numbers that survive scrutiny.

• Competition Analysis

  Know who else solves the problem and where you can win.

• Go-to-Market Validation

  Test the channels, message and sales process before launch day.