The initial version of ServiceUp had no assets, mechanics, or overhead. It was a pure arbitrage play: taking customer orders from a failed auto shop, farming them out to other shops at wholesale rates, and profiting from the margin. This validated the business model's financial viability before any technology was built.

Despite a previous successful exit, Dileep Thazhmon took Jeeves through Y Combinator not for basic education, but for brand credibility in new international markets, access to fintech expertise, and as a hedge against COVID-era uncertainty.

In 1958, Bank of America jumpstarted what became the Visa network by mailing 60,000 live credit cards to Fresno residents. This aggressive, and now illegal, tactic instantly created a user base and merchant incentive, solving the classic two-sided market problem that plagues new payment platforms.

Just Eat Takeaway observes strong demand for new services like grocery in specific markets first. They develop solutions there, gaining insights and building features that are ready to deploy globally as consumer demand emerges elsewhere, turning regional trends into a strategic advantage.

To achieve rapid, bootstrapped growth, don't choose between a service or a product. Start with a hybrid: a product with a service aspect. This allows you to generate immediate cash flow and validate the market with the service, while using that revenue to build the more scalable product asset.

Cross-border transactions are a critical, high-margin driver for Visa. Due to increased complexity and currency exchange, these international payments carry fees roughly three times higher than domestic ones. Consequently, they contribute over a third of Visa's revenue despite representing only a tenth of its total payment volume.

Instead of waiting for a working product, the founders invested in a conference booth with just screenshots. This early, public validation test, though risky, attracted two crucial prospects who became their first customers. This demonstrated market demand before the product was fully built, a move many founders would avoid.

Validate startup ideas by building the simplest possible front end—what the customer sees—while handling all back-end logistics manually. This allows founders to prove customers will pay for a concept before over-investing in expensive technology, operations, or infrastructure.

When their card provider shut them down, Jeeves faced a 60-day gap with no product. To survive, they launched a credit-based payment product managed on a spreadsheet. This crisis-born MVP now accounts for 40% of the company's revenue.