LumenApps - Build your idea fast

You've had an idea floating around in your head for a while now. Maybe you want to build an app, launch a platform, or start a service that could make the world (and of course your wallet) a little better off. But how do you know if your idea actually has a chance of success?

Some ideas flop completely, while others grow into seriously successful businesses. Here are five concrete signs that your vision is worth bringing to market.

1. It doesn't cost much money to start

Having little need for capital is essential to get started. You don't need to invest enormous amounts of money to get off the ground. Apple, for example, started in a garage with a simple MVP (minimum viable product) called the Apple 1 for $1,350. This MVP became the starting point for what is now phones, laptops, watches, tablets and a huge ecosystem that is loved worldwide.

Here you'll find 9 successful companies that started with minimal capital. In short, you want to keep your risk as low as possible, but still make your returns as high as possible. A good risk/reward ratio, as they say in English.

2. You spot a gap in the market through research

Brainstorming and market research should naturally be part of the process to find out if your idea has market fit. But how do you approach something like this? Here's a process you can follow:

Reddit research: Reddit.com is a goldmine of valuable information. It's no coincidence that many AI models have been trained on Reddit data. Well-known subreddits like r/Saas and r/Business_Ideas are extremely helpful. Another interesting subreddit is r/Alternative, where customer dissatisfaction comes to the surface. This offers opportunities. A smart move is to choose conversations that align with your idea.

G2.com reviews: This website shows all reviews for various software products. With step 1 (Reddit) you can find products and read their reviews on G2.com. Three important questions for yourself with each review:

Is the review recently written? Look for recent problems, not old ones that have already been solved
Is the product's problem well explained?
Is a possible solution given in the review?

Trend analysis: Search Google Trends for certain keywords that have recently been popular, or use ideabrowser.com to see if your idea shows a positive trend.

3. You can explain the problem you solve in one sentence

To fall back on point 1: you want to start simple and then expand further if it becomes successful. A story in which you give a simple but powerful explanation of what your business model does is therefore necessary.

The elevator pitch test: If you can't explain your idea to a random person within 30 seconds, then it's probably too complex. Complex ideas are harder to understand, harder to build and harder to sell.

Look at these examples from successful CEOs:

Mark Zuckerberg about Facebook: "Facebook helps you connect and share with people in your life"
Sergey Brin about Google: "We want to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful"

Do you see the pattern? No technical terms, no complicated explanation of how it works. These companies are now worth tens to trillions, while everyone understands their core message.

Why simple works: simple ideas are easy to communicate to stakeholders, your customers and your team. Often they are also easy to develop and test.

4. You already have a first group of potential users

Most people get to work without first validating their idea. This is a big mistake. According to a report from CBInsights, 35% fail because there is no market for the product, 10% because the timing is wrong (launched too early or too late) and 8% because the product is not well received by the market.

That's a total of 53% that fails because the product simply isn't validated. Plenty of ground to win.

How can you validate your product now without launching it completely? Distribution is key for this. Find the people around you who give you honest feedback. This step-by-step plan helps:

Use a survey via a tool like Typeform and launch it on LinkedIn
Pitch your idea on Reddit or X
Introduce a waiting list on your website
Do cold emails to your target group

Make sure you have at least 15 to 20 dedicated users before you continue. You can then ask for honest feedback about whether your product has market fit.

Remember: the more critical your users, the better. As a thank you, you can give users the first 3 months free, for example.

5. You follow your intuition and go for it

As the last point, I take the most important one: starting an idea, a project, a business is always dependent on your intuition. Points 1 through 4 help you get the right feeling. Then give it some rest. As soon as you notice that it clicks, you put 100% energy into it and go for it.

Data helps, but doesn't decide everything: You can do all the market research in the world, but eventually you have to take the leap. Reed Hastings started Netflix when Blockbuster was still king. All data indicated that people wanted to rent physical DVDs. His intuition said something different.

Perfect timing doesn't exist: There will always be a reason not to start. The market isn't ready yet, you don't have enough money, the competition is too big. Successful entrepreneurs start despite these obstacles.

To conclude, this quote from Elon Musk: "When something is important, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor"

Ready to make your idea a reality?

If you recognize these 5 signs in your idea, then it's time for action. At Lumen Apps, I help entrepreneurs and creatives like you go from idea to working application. An MLP (Minimum Lovable Product) package starts from €5,999. LumenApps can also help with custom software solutions such as integration or a tool in existing software.

Such a package includes complete software development: user management, AI integration, security, payment systems, cloud deployment etc. Read more here

Schedule a free strategy session and let LumenApps make your vision a reality.