5 quick and easy ways to test your next offer (before you even create it!)
Photo by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash
Like many entrepreneurs I know, I don’t struggle with coming up with ideas for new things to create.
My biggest challenge is too many ideas and not enough time or energy to bring them all to life. Maybe you can relate?
Back when I was building side hustles alongside my corporate job, I read a lot of books like The Lean Startup and The $100 Startup. They championed the "Faster-Leaner-Smarter" approach—born from the tech and car manufacturing industries—where you quickly create a minimum viable product (MVP), test it with customers, gather feedback, and refine it until it becomes a profitable offering.
The concept made a lot of sense and has influenced how I now run my own business and guide others to do the same. In the early days, the biggest hurdle was that I was trying to use these concepts as a one-person business:
- I was doing everything myself—tasks that larger companies would have entire teams handling.
- The visibility fear was real when my audience was mostly made up of family, friends, and colleagues.
- Creating a "minimum viable product" was tough as a recovering perfectionist, and by the time I was happy with it, my initial excitement had often faded.
- I lacked experience in selling, which meant I wasn’t getting enough feedback to iterate properly.
The result? I felt rushed, created things that never got used, and constantly changed my offers and pricing.
A New Approach: Slowing Down to Speed Up
Over time, I’ve developed a different approach—one that helps me filter ideas more intentionally. Fewer ideas make it to launch, but the ones that do last longer because they’re aligned with:
✔ My genuine enthusiasm and excitement
✔ The skills and value I can confidently offer
✔ The overall vision and mission of my business
5 Quick and Easy Ways to Test a New Idea (Before Putting It Out There)
If you’re sitting on a new idea but aren’t ready to launch, here are five low-effort ways to explore it first:
1. Write a long-form journal entry ✍️
Writing helps clarify thoughts. Try answering: What is this idea? Why does it matter? Who does it help, and how? This process often reveals whether the idea has real depth or if it’s just a passing thought.
2. Make a vision board 🎨
Gather images that represent how this product or service could work for your ideal clients. Visualizing the end result can help you decide whether it’s worth pursuing.
3. Record yourself talking about it 🎙
Sometimes, speaking out loud makes things clearer. Use a voice note app and describe the idea as if you were explaining it to a friend. Hearing it back may reveal new insights or gaps.
4. Map it out 🗺
Start with the central idea and branch out into details. Who does it serve? What’s needed to bring it to life? What are potential challenges? This mind-mapping exercise can help structure your thoughts.
5. Doodle 🖍
Sketch logos, taglines, product mockups—whatever comes to mind! I still have notebooks full of doodles for ideas that never made it past this stage, but some have evolved into real projects.
The key is to get your ideas out of your head and into the world in a way that feels natural and safe to your nervous system. This builds momentum without pushing you so far out of your comfort zone that you want to retreat into hibernation.
I’d love to know if you give any of these a go - reach out and let me know. 😊