Instead of setting early revenue targets, new products should focus on a more telling metric: getting a small cohort of sophisticated users to become obsessed. This deep engagement is a leading indicator of product-market fit and provides the necessary insights to scale to the next 50 users.

Ramli John launched his paid beta program after writing only two of twenty chapters. This allowed him to gather market feedback exceptionally early, co-create the product with his most dedicated users, and pivot based on their input, significantly de-risking the final launch.

Pursuing large "whale" customers for early validation is risky because they often come with heavy demands that can derail the product vision. Instead, seek out innovative, mid-level companies who are early adopters. They provide better feedback, and building traction with them opens doors to larger clients later.

Friends provide biased feedback. For a truer market signal, launch a waitlist for your product on a relevant, niche online community like Hacker News. The volume of sign-ups from your target audience provides a far more realistic and valuable measure of initial demand than conversations with your personal network.

Free offers attract high volume but often low quality. Counter this by adding strategic friction—like multi-step forms or forced video consumption—to weed out uncommitted prospects. The goal is finding the sweet spot that maximizes qualified leads without losing high-value but lazy prospects.

Figma learned that removing issues preventing users from adopting the product was as important as adding new features. They systematically tackled these blockers—often table stakes features—and saw a direct, measurable improvement in retention and activation after fixing each one.