Fireworks to framework: taming ideas with validation
Sometimes, ideas visit me like fireworks—bright, exciting, and usually right before midnight (joke’s on me; these days I try to go to sleep early… and fail hard). They spark fast and burn out just as quickly—especially if I don’t act on them.
For years, I made one major mistake: turning every idea into a gigantic to-do list and crashing into analysis paralysis. The result? Zero action. Zero progress. Just a shiny doc in a folder called “When the time is right”
That’s no longer the case.
Now, I actually do something with my ideas. Naturally, I lean toward dressing them up—building brand concepts, visuals, names, and stories. I love that part. Sometimes the ideas are pure nonsense; sometimes they’re just patiently waiting their turn to see the light of day.
But after years in marketing, I’ve learned a simple truth: results first, branding second. Yes, first impressions matter. But nobody claps for a beautiful thing if there’s no one there to see it. No audience = no traction.
That’s why I’ve grown to love idea validation and testing. It’s become my gym—as a marketer. My playground. I’m still figuring out my perfect rhythm and habits. The play styles I actually enjoy. But the key is to keep moving forward, even if your walk isn't a catwalk. So that’s exactly what I’m doing here with this article.
With a new project ahead of me. And with all the recent AI advancements, I wanted to refresh my own idea validation & testing toolkit. Are we still using the same old testing frameworks? Or can one smart prompt do the heavy lifting now?
Let’s dig in.
What Is Idea Validation (and Why Bother)?
Idea validation is proving that:
There’s a real problem worth solving
There’s a specific audience that wants it solved
They’d pay for it—ideally soon
Simple in theory. Messy in practice.
So I went on a mini research adventure to see how people are testing smarter and faster in today’s AI-powered, attention-short world. This article isn’t a how-to guide—just a collection of ideas that sparked my curiosity. A little horizon-expanding. For now.
Mindset is the key: the 2–20–200 Framework
This 2-20-200 framework is by Rob Walling and focuses on time budgeting for idea validation:
2 hours for research
20 hours for building landing pages & having conversations
200 hours for actual building the product
Kinda makes sense. Maybe it’s really just the 2–20–whatever-your-product-and-skills-are framework. But let’s get back to the point. Time management matters. Otherwise, it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole.
[Define the Idea]
Once an idea pops into my head, the first thing I do is write it down. Next, I try to get a better understanding of the audience, existing solutions, and the market. This is where I personally tend to drown in information. I get super frustrated when I spend hours researching, only to catch myself going around in circles. That’s why the tools below stood out to me — they offer a more practical way to frame the idea on paper and move forward.
1. One Beginner-Friendly AI Prompt That Gives You A LOT
I’m usually skeptical of things like “This ONE prompt will make you go from 0 to 1M!” But this one is actually helpful.
You describe your product, audience, and goals in a single ChatGPT (or Claude, etc.) prompt. And in return, it gives you:
Positioning
Market signals
Validation checklist
Real risks
Suggested action plan
Is it theoretical? Yes. But it gives you a sandbox outside your head. It helps you see your idea as a potential project with shape and steps. Perfect for brand-new baby ideas. [the prompt can be copied-pasted from the YT video]
Bonus: The same video includes a personal strategic advisor prompt. I tried it. Loved it.
Ladies, add this to your prompt after the initial answers your “coach” gives you: “Guide me using feminine leadership.” Notice the shift—from pushing to creating.
2. Buildpad – The MVP Co-Pilot
If you want to do the bare minimum and get the maximum— Buildpad is a nice option.
Define the problem
Estimate market size
Analyze current alternatives
Understand your audience
Shape your product
Build your MVP plan
And if you’re as tired as I was at 23:30 on a Wednesday night — you can just keep typing “yes” until Buildpad builds a solid action plan for you.
I especially loved that it scrapes Reddit, Twitter, and other places to show real people’s frustrations, highlight product gaps, and list existing competitor pros/cons.
P.S. It’s half-free, half-paid. FYI.
3. Good Old Keyword Research & Trend Hunting
Yes, I still don’t like SEO (don’t ask, PTSD..). But keywords are such a good way to understand audience behavior patterns. They show you what people are already looking for.
Quick tools to use:
Any free SEO keyword tool
Google Trends + Glimpse Chrome Extension
I’ve found a few interesting platforms where I can clearly see how they use AI to help analyze the keyword data fast and more effectively. But they were paid with no trial offer. So, ok, bye (for now).
[Testing]
Once you have a defined idea and an understanding of your market and audience, awesome! Now, it's time to get out of your head and into the real world.
When you're ready to test your idea, sure, you can jump on Reddit or reach out to your audience for opinions. It's a solid, zero-budget move. But let's be honest—sometimes you want answers faster.
Personally, I think the discussion of testing strategies is way more fun when it’s hands-on and with real examples. So, maybe later I'll share something that's less theoretical and more about that raw, trial-and-error energy!
4. Run a Fast Ad Test
Yes, ads are a classic. They're a fast way to bring traffic to a landing page and get initial performance insights. What caught my attention, though, was this fresh, super clear breakdown of how to run a lean ad campaign in 2025:
I’d honestly love to chat with pro advertisers about how people are creating & running ads these days. But for those of us who aren’t deep into paid media, I really liked this YouTube guy’s approach—simple, actionable, and not overwhelming.
5. Create a Waitlist Landing Page
For some reason, I used to think you needed the full landing and user flow ready even for testing — branding, visuals, payments, email flows, and so on. But nope. A landing page with a waitlist can be enough.
It lets you test:
Does anyone care?
Are they willing to sign up for updates?
Does the messaging land?
And this doesn’t “fake” a product — it just helps you test demand.
3. Social Media Opt-In Post
It’s simple and currently used by so many creators on IG, Linkedin and other platforms.
Post a problem → solution message on social media
Offer a freebie (e.g. PDF, YT link or etc.)
Ask people to comment a specific word to get it
Track how many follow through
No landing page. Just an opt-in based on attention and interest. It’s fast. And if you don’t have your own following yet, you can even collaborate with micro-influencers.
Here’s an example of the same ‘strategic AI advisor’ prompt that was mentioned at the beginning of this article—this time using the social media opt-in format.
Gut Feeling Still Matters
You won't validate an idea 100%, and that isn't the goal. Data is important, but so is your intuition. Idea validation and testing will at least give you a clear direction to start in, rather than simply throwing ideas against the wall.
My intuition? It’s telling me to stop theorizing and go run my own little solo hackathon.
Kidding… (kind of).
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Hey! If you're into idea validation or testing, feel free to hit me up on LinkedIn. I'm always curious to learn more and chat about it! - Ruta
