Most founders start with products. Instead I started with these 3 questions.

Many founders start with products. They get excited, make some, and then make a riot to find out if someone really wants it.

I did the same. Technically, I started making my boss’ stupid AI photos to laugh at my fellow workers. But when I saw the ability of the tools with which I was playing – and how accessing them – I realized that I could turn it into a real thing.

I did not have a background in learning AI or deep. But suddenly available with open source tools, such as open source tools, people like me can create things that feel like magic.

And like most of the businessmen, I wanted to move forward. But instead of hurrying to make, I gave myself a check for a reality. I asked three harsh questions before writing the code line. That checklist became the basis of my business – and he helped me avoid wasting months (and money) on a product that no one wanted.

These are the same questions whether you are launching a sauce company, consumer products, service -based business, or, yes, AI tool.

Related: AI is not a plug and play-you need a strategy. Here is your leader to build a.

1. What is the real demand?

Before investing anything in product development, I set up a test. I opened an Eti Store during the holidays. It was clunky. Each order meant that I was manually training models and fulfilling them.

But people paid. They liked the results. This extension was not full – but it didn’t matter. He gave me proof:

• I can provide people with something really worthy of
• They were willing to pay the price

Such an early signal is more important than the sleek prototype or detailed roadmap. Your IT, this may mean selling the simplest version of your offer, selling service first, or running a paid pilot. The goal is the same: confirm that you have real demand before building a scale.

2. Will people pay me – and how?

After confirming interest, I started experimenting with prices. We experienced $ 15, then $ 25. We run ads on the Reddate. Some worked, not most. I tried subscriptions-but quickly realized that it was very expensive to run a customized trained model to support repeated plans in the early stages.

So I turned into a timely payment model. Easy, low friction, no complication on the ship. We started 999.99, and was strong in conversion. Over time, we have increased advanced prices-but from the first day, the business had to create financial meaning.

Many people suggested that the freeium version. I considered it, but the GPU costs made it unrealistic. Instead, I created a free tool that looked like our main offer (AI headshot generator), but was actually a low cost background. It gave consumers a taste of experience and warmed them to buy. And it changed.

Tickway? Retain models are not just about prices – they are about stability. The founder is often ideal for the user, more indexes on it and forgetting what is viable for the business.

3. Can I really reach people?

I didn’t have the audience. I didn’t have contacts or media buzzs. But I had a reddot.

I started to join the threads where people were talking about AI head shots. I increased the value, offered comparisons, answered questions – and finally, shared my own products. It acquired our first 100 users. We used Google ads to measure up to 1,000.

It was not viral. It was not beautiful. But he worked. Why? Because I focused on solving the most difficult part of the distribution: attention and confidence.

When people think about the Go -to -Market, they think of channels. But it is better to think in terms of danger:

• Can you do? Search Right people?
• Can you do? Earn Their attention?
• Can you do? Reverse To them – without much spending?

If there is no answer, it doesn’t matter how good the product is.

Related: If you do not, AI will explain your brand.

Don’t build until you get answers to these three questions

Every founder wants to make something very good. But to build very quickly – or on the assumptions – can also hit the best ideas.

A rough product made on real answers will always defeat the polished thing made in hope.

So before you build a new product or service or start investing heavy, ask yourself:

• Who wants now?
• Will they pay?
• Can I reach them profitable?

Everything else can wait.