It doesn’t matter how good you think your product is. If the market does not want to pay for it, you’ve got a dead product.
Most product launches go something like this:
Does this strategy work? For some entrepreneurs, it does. But let's face the facts:
So no, raising money from investors is not enough to have a successful business. Nor is it enough to build a product, launch it, and expect you picked a winning lotto ticket.
Getting pre-sales revenue first means…
...you never have to wake up in the middle-of-the-night with the haunting question, “What if no one wants to buy my product after I launch it?”
...you feel confident knowing you’re building something customers will love.
...you avoid the risk of tying up all your resources on one product, only to have it flop.
Above all, it means you’ve found out that real people are absolutely thrilled about your product before your launch.
We don’t start with an idea or product.
Like data-driven scientists, we start by putting the customer first and testing our hypotheses.
At Growth Ramp, we do product validation like this:
So instead of taking a stab-in-the-dark, you’re building a lovable product from actual customers.
Growth Ramp's product validation services start at $4,000/month.
Investing $8,000/month or more will get you $1,000/month in free services.
It’s for founders looking to create a new product.
Typically you fit into one of two categories:
The goal of product validation is not to have a golden idea from the get-go. Nor is it to validate that your only idea needs to work.
Instead, the goal of product validation is to get customers before you build your product.
From there, you can then build a predictable and repeatable system using product marketing.
Please note: If you have an idea or product but no customers, you may need to scrap everything you’ve created so far. We’ll do our best to save what we can. But customer needs must come first.
If you do not have:
...Then right now you are not a good fit for our product validation services.
We would love to help every entrepreneur on their journey from idea to scale. However, we also know who receives the most value from our services.
Here are the typical deliverables you will receive:
This process takes 2-3 months.
Here's our process, from when you first reach out, to validating your product with paying customers.
What you get: A clearer picture if Growth Ramp's services are for you and fit your needs.
If you do not have:
...Then right now you are not a good fit for our product validation services.
If you want to find a scalable path to get your first 1,000 customers, check out our product marketing services.
In respect of your time, we ask you to fill out our application form to make sure you're a fit (should take 2-4 minutes). If you are a fit, someone at Growth Ramp will reach out to you to set up a call.
If you have the budget but are not a fit, we would be more than happy to refer you to someone we think may be a fit. This makes it a smaller commitment for you to fill out the form in the link above.
Our product marketing services start at an investment of $4,000/month. For projects at $8,000/month or more, you will receive $1,000/month in free services.
What you get: A live demo how Growth Ramp's services work, how our services will help you grow faster, and potential results you can expect.
At the end of the call, you can ask me any questions about our project. You will then decide if you would like to invest in Growth Ramp’s services.
What you get: You will understand your positioning, customer needs, and product strategy.
You don’t want shoot-from-the-hip guesswork what your customers want. Instead, you need to:
The Gap Analysis™ will give you:
At the end of this phase, I will discuss what we’ve learned with you. We’ll work with you to decide what’s the best path forward for your product.
This process usually takes 3-4 weeks.
What you get: Pre-sales landing page, pricing strategy, product strategy, and sales strategy.
With customer feedback in hand, we’ll create a landing page to get a second round of customer feedback. This allows us to double-check that the product you have in mind matches customer expectations. Further, it allows us to optimize your messaging without investing in your marketing budget.
This step will help you get your:
This process usually takes 3-4 weeks.
What you get: Delighted customers who are eager to pay for your product.
The exciting moment of truth.
We open the door and open the cart for your customers. By offering an exclusive early-access bonus, we get new customers to pay on the promise you deliver.
And if the opportunity is right, we will help you with a product launch. This includes getting you press features and mentions by doing press outreach.
This process usually takes 3-4 weeks.
Once product validation is complete, you can build your product with the confidence people want what you offer.
We’ll share our findings with you in a PDF report. We’ll then synthesize and discuss the results with you over Skype/phone. Any revenue you receive from pre-sales will already be in your bank account.
We can also help you get your first 1,000 customers with our product marketing services.
[1] Sarkar, Christian. “‘Monetizing Innovation’ – An Interview with Simon-Kucher & Partners’ Madhavan Ramanujam.” Marketing Journal. Simon-Kucher & Partners, July 3, 2016. http://www.marketingjournal.org/monetizinginnovation/.
[2] Adams, Rob. “Market Validation: Why Ready, Aim, Fire Beats Ready, Fire, Fire, Fire, Aim.” Inc. The University of Texas at Austin, April 27, 2010. https://www.inc.com/rob-adams/market-validation-new-book.html.
[3] Gage, Deborah, and Shikhar Ghosh. “The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Fail.” The Wall Street Journal. Harvard Business School, September 20, 2012. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443720204578004980476429190.