Surveys lie. Friends lie. Even “Waiting Lists” lie. There is only one source of truth in business: A credit card transaction.
Founders love to complicate validation. They build MVPs, run focus groups, and track “engagement.” These are vanity metrics.
If you are building a Micro-SaaS (or any product), there is a simple binary test to determine if you are ready to ship. I call it The ₹500 Protocol.
The Protocol – Look at your product. Ask yourself one question: “Would I personally swipe my card right now and pay ₹500 ($8) a month for this?”
If the answer is “Maybe”: You are failing.
If the answer is “It has potential”: You are failing.
If the answer is “Yes, obviously, because it saves me ₹5000 in time”: You are ready.
The “Exit Trigger” – Most products fail not because they lack features, but because they have Exit Triggers.
Lousy UI? Exit Trigger.
Slow load time? Exit Trigger.
Confusing copy? Exit Trigger.
In the early days, you don’t need a “Product Manager.” You need an Exit Hunter. Your job is not to add value. It is to remove the reasons to leave.
#DhandheKaFunda: Validation is not a feeling. Validation is a transaction. Until money moves, it is just a hobby.