How2 Turn a Big Idea into a Testable Product in 7 Days
Your step-by-step guide to going from “wouldn’t it be cool if…” to real-world feedback without burning months or thousands of pounds.
Why You Don’t Need to Wait Months to Test an Idea
You’ve had that light bulb moment. The idea is exciting, maybe even a little scary. You can already see people using it maybe you’ve even sketched a logo.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to build the full product to find out if it’s worth your time and money.
In just 7 days, you can go from vague idea to real-world feedback, without writing a single line of production code or investing more than a handful of hours a day.
At How2, we run a version of this process in our paid Discovery Weeks but you can follow this stripped-down version yourself and get surprisingly clear answers, fast.
Day 1 – Clarify the Problem
Goal: Define the real problem you’re solving in one sentence.
Most failed products die because they solved a problem no one really cared about. Start here:
Who is struggling?
What is the pain they feel?
Why now is it important to fix?
Avoid vague goals like “help people be more productive.” Instead:
“Help freelance designers send contracts 10x faster so they don’t lose clients.”
Deliverable: A single-line problem statement.
Example: “Small catering companies are losing bookings because they can’t respond to enquiries quickly enough.”
Day 2 – Identify Your Riskiest Assumption
Goal: Find the assumption that, if wrong, kills your idea.
Ask yourself:
Is the risk that people don’t have the problem?
Is it that they wouldn’t pay for a solution?
Or that they’d choose someone else’s solution over mine?
Exercise:
List every assumption your idea depends on.
Circle the one that feels most fragile — the one that would make the whole thing fall apart if untrue.
Deliverable: Your #1 risky assumption.
Example: “Catering companies would pay £25/month for a faster enquiry response tool.”
Day 3 – Design a Quick Test
Goal: Create the simplest possible way to test your riskiest assumption.
Options include:
A landing page explaining your offer with a “sign up” or “buy” button.
A no-code prototype built in Figma or Canva.
A manual concierge test — you deliver the service yourself, behind the scenes, without building tech yet.
Remember: this isn’t about proving you can build it. It’s about proving people want it.
Deliverable: A bare-minimum test design you can build in hours, not weeks.
Day 4 – Build the Prototype
Goal: Make your test real enough to get useful feedback.
Keep it lean:
Skip the logo, branding, and “nice to have” features.
Use tools like Figma (interactive mockups), Carrd or Typedream (simple websites), and Typeform/Tally (sign-up forms).
If you plan to test it “internally” you could even mock it up in power point using each slide as a click and record the reactions and questions
Example: If your idea is a “smart meal planner,” your prototype might be a single webpage showing a sample meal plan with a form to “get your personalised plan.”
Deliverable: A functioning test or prototype.
Day 5 – Get It in Front of Real People
Goal: Put your idea in front of actual potential customers.
Where to find them:
Email past contacts or LinkedIn connections.
Share in niche Facebook groups, Reddit threads, or Slack communities.
Reach out to people you know match your target profile.
Offer something small in return for their time; early access, free use for a month, or even a coffee voucher.
Aim for at least 5–10 meaningful conversations or interactions.
Day 6 – Measure & Learn
Goal: See whether reality matches your hopes.
Metrics to track:
How many people engaged with your test?
How many clicked “sign up,” booked a demo, or expressed willingness to pay?
How many wanted to act right now rather than “someday”?
Avoid vanity feedback like “This looks cool!” Push for:
“If this existed today, would you pay £X for it?”
Deliverable: Evidence for or against your risky assumption.
Day 7 – Decide Your Next Move
Goal: Act on what you’ve learned.
Strong results → refine and scale your prototype into an MVP.
Weak results → pivot your idea or test a different risky assumption.
Mixed results → tweak your offer and run another quick test.
Remember: “failing” in 7 days is far better than failing after 7 months of hard work.
The Payoff
By focusing on the problem, your riskiest assumption, and quick real-world testing, you’ve skipped months of uncertainty and guesswork.
The biggest trap founders fall into is building before validating. This process flips that you validate before you invest.
Want to make this even easier?
Our How2 Test Your Idea Toolkit includes:
Fill-in-the-blank problem statements
Assumption mapping templates
Prototype walkthrough guides
Email and social outreach scripts
Simple metric-tracking sheets
You can grab it by dropping us a mail or let us run the whole process for you in a Discovery Week, where we handle everything from research to prototype delivery.