Test Your Business Idea with Real Customers Before Launching Your Small Business

photo credit: DLR_de

Test Your Business Idea with Real Customers Before Launching Your Small Business

Yesterday, I came across a brilliant article by Carol Tice in Entrepreneur magazine titled Lean LaunchPad: A Crash Course in Startup Success. It struck a chord—and I had to share it with you. It outlines a business course from Stanford University that every entrepreneur should know about.

The course, developed by Steve Blank, a seasoned entrepreneur and Stanford lecturer, is called Lean LaunchPad. Its core concept is simple yet powerful: test your business idea with real customers before you invest too much time or money. Rather than writing a detailed business plan right away, this method encourages entrepreneurs to experiment, fail fast, and adapt. Therefore, you increase your chances of finding a winning business model.

Here’s How the Lean LaunchPad Course Works

The program unfolds week by week, with each step building on the last:

1. First, learn the key components of a business model.

2. Next, develop your initial business idea or hypothesis.

3. Then, define your value proposition—what problem will you solve?

4. After that, identify your ideal customer and how to reach them.

5. Additionally, create strategies to attract and retain those customers.

6. Map out your sales and distribution channels.

7. Build your revenue model.

8. Calculate the resources you’ll need and estimate your expenses.

9. Finally, present your full business plan to the class for feedback.

This hands-on, feedback-driven method reduces risk early. As a result, you avoid building something nobody wants. It’s no surprise this approach is being praised across the startup world.

In conclusion, if you’re preparing to launch a business, test your business idea with real customers before diving in. It might just save your dream—and help it succeed.