VALIDATION PHASE 1

CONCEPT OR IDEA

So you have an idea. Before you spend time, invest money and energy to forming your business case, we need to validate a few things. Is there a need for the product or service? Is there a market? What does the market currently look like? 

We will get started with an Immersion Workshop to get to know your business idea intimately, developing hypotheses and assumptions for testing. After this, we can begin to test our assumptions using data science tools to map the global market and uncover your optimal entry point. To learn about the needs of the market, we can facilitate a focus group with a twist – our scientific method uncovers the true needs, wants and values of your market, telling us what element of your product or service needs the most focus in the early development stage. 

VALIDATION PHASE 2

BUSINESS CASE​

You’re ready to form a business case. You now know what your market wants, needs and values. But can you say the same for the values of potential investors? In this phase, we work with you to develop a business case that will stand out, with a science-backed valuation and data-driven launch methodology. We work with our internal funding experts to give you the best chance of securing early funding. 

VALIDATION PHASE 3

TECHNICAL PROOF OF CONCEPT

It’s time to put your product or service into action. Depending on the complexity of your idea, this may be a simple step or it could require a reasonable process to  technically prove that your idea can work. The more technical aspects must be proven first, before a full build of the product.

In many cases, we do this by isolating the most crucial and challenging technical components of your idea and proving they can work as designed.

VALIDATION PHASE 4

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

The BIGGEST mistake made by most of those 80% of new innovations that fail is that they ASSUME they know what the market wants, needs and values. Based on their assumption, they go and build what they believe to be the perfect solution.

We know better. Define your MVP. Focus only on the most crucial job that your idea does for the specific market you intend to enter, and prepare to TEST it in the next step.

VALIDATION PHASE 5

EARLY ADOPTERS

This is where the magic happens. Recruiting early adopters to use your product and provide you with feedback is the LEARNING phase. In this learning phase you will gain the most validation. In some cases, you may discover that some of your assumptions are invalidated. Feedback from Early Adopters not only allows you to learn about the functional jobs your idea does for you customers, but most importantly, the emotional jobs. This clearly shows you what adaptions you need to make by way of product performance. Direct from users, hear the very specific likes and dislikes about the innovation vs its alternatives, to inform you of your key marketing messages needed for your next stage of market entry.

VALIDATION PHASE 6

EARLY INNOVATORS

You’ve refined your product’s key features and have direction for your marketing to attract your next group – early innovators.

This segment of the market are those profiles and personas that are constantly looking to be ahead of the game. They love new ideas; they embrace change; they seek to be first movers and these are the early customers you want on board.

In the first phase of a soft launch, profit is not your goal, adoption is. This is the phase where revenue begins to flow and more learning occurs, assisting you in refining your idea and gaining testimonials from these early innovators. Their feedback provides current user validation.

VALIDATION PHASE 7

EARLY MAJORITY MARKET

Now comes the real test. Momentum is building, you are beginning to gain satisfied customers who are loving your innovative product or service. Word starts to spread.

This is the scale up phase where many things are happening. Marketing to the early majority market is often about expanding your marketing campaigns using the successes of your current early innovators. It requires strong planning, maintaining focus on who your real users are and what they are gaining from your product. More capital may be required, ramping up of production, staff, distribution channels and expanding your offering.

This is when your competitors will begin to pay attention to your innovation and are likely to respond. However, with careful planning, your momentum is underway and you are winning.

VALIDATION PHASE 8

MAJORITY MARKET

Your reputation precedes you. The market is loving what they are experiencing and you are beginning to corporatise the business. Value in the operation is soaring and high profitability is manifesting. The hard work of your previous steps is paying off and new challenges of maintaining market dominance arise.

YOUR LAUNCH RISK