Validating your offer before you build it

Most designers waste months perfecting an offer no one buys. They tweak their pricing, refine their messaging, build a beautiful landing page, and then? Silence.

It’s not because they aren’t good at what they do. It’s because they skipped the most important step: validating demand before building anything.

Validation isn’t about guessing. It’s about proving—before you launch—that clients are willing to pay for your service. It’s about removing the risk of failure before investing time into something that might not work.

The goal is simple: Get a client before you build the service. If you can sell it before it exists, you have proof that you’re solving a real problem. If you can’t, you either need to refine the offer or find a better problem to solve.

Here’s how to do it.

Why most designers get this wrong

Most designers assume that if their service sounds good to them, it will sound good to clients. They spend weeks (or months) creating a polished offer, hoping people will magically sign up once it’s live.

This never works.

You don’t want to guess. You want evidence. You want to hear people say, “I need this… how do I sign up?” before you invest in building it out.

The best way to validate an offer is not to ask if people like it. It’s to see if they’re willing to commit, whether that means paying upfront, jumping on a call, or giving you their email to learn more.

The fastest way to validate your offer

You don’t need a website. You don’t need branding. You don’t even need a polished sales page.

You just need a clear service description and a way to test demand.

Here’s the process:

1. Write a one-sentence pitch

2. Share it with potential clients

3. Offer a low-friction commitment

Let’s break these down.

1. Write a one-sentence pitch

Before you test demand, you need a simple, clear explanation of what you’re selling. If you can’t describe your offer in one sentence, it’s too vague.

Bad: “I help startups with UX.”
Good: “I help SaaS startups increase conversions by fixing their onboarding experience.”

Bad: “I do branding for businesses.”
Good: “I create brand identity kits that help early-stage startups look credible.”

The more specific and results-driven your pitch, the easier it will be to validate.

2. Share it with potential clients

Now, test the pitch. No ads. No landing pages. Just real conversations.

Post about it on LinkedIn, Twitter, or in relevant Slack communities. Message 10-20 people who fit your ideal client profile. If you’ve worked with past clients, reach out to them.

The key? Don’t ask for feedback. Ask if they’re interested.

Instead of: “Do you think this is a good idea?”
Say: “I’m launching a new service that helps SaaS founders fix onboarding drop-offs. Want me to take a look at yours?”

If people say “Sounds interesting” but don’t take action, your offer isn’t clear or urgent enough. If they say, “I need this…. how do we start?” you’ve validated demand.

3. Offer a low-friction commitment

The best validation is payment. But if you’re testing demand, any sign of commitment works.

Here’s how to measure real interest:

If people say, “Let’s jump on a call,” you’re onto something.
If people say, “I want this, send me the details,” you’ve found a real problem.
If people pre-pay or sign up for a beta version, you’ve fully validated the offer.

But if all you get is “That sounds cool” with no action, it’s not strong enough yet.

What to do if you get no interest

If nobody bites, don’t take it personally. It just means the problem isn’t urgent enough or your offer isn’t clear.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Make the problem more specific. If “UX consulting” isn’t landing, try “Fixing SaaS onboarding to increase activation rates.”

2. Make the outcome clearer. Instead of “Better UX,” say “10% higher conversion rates.”

3. Test a different audience. Maybe startups aren’t the right fit—but e-commerce brands are.

Validation isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about iterating quickly until you find what works.

The fastest path to revenue

Most designers waste time perfecting their service before knowing if anyone wants it. This is backward.

The fastest path to revenue is:

1. Find a painful problem.

2. Pitch a simple, results-driven solution.

3. See if clients commit before you build it.

Once you get your first “yes,” you don’t have an idea anymore. You have a business.

In the next chapter, we’ll cover how to scale beyond your first few clients—so you’re not just landing projects, but building a predictable, repeatable income stream.