I wasted three months building a digital course nobody wanted.
Three. Entire. Months.
I recorded 18 video lessons, designed workbooks, created bonus materials, built out a fancy member portal… the works. I was SO proud of it. It was comprehensive, polished, professional. I just knew it was going to change lives and make me money.
Launch day came. I promoted my heart out. And you know how many people bought it?
Two. Just two people. And one of them was my mom.
The problem wasn’t the quality of the product. The problem was that I never stopped to validate my digital product idea before building it. I assumed I knew what people wanted instead of actually asking them. And that assumption cost me three months of work, a few hundred dollars in software, and a serious hit to my confidence.
Here’s what nobody tells you: the idea stage is where most people either set themselves up for success or doom themselves to failure. And the difference between the two? Validation.
So let’s talk about how to validate your digital product idea before you build it, so you don’t end up with a beautiful product that nobody buys.
I know you’re excited about your product idea. I get it. You’ve probably been thinking about it for weeks, mapping it out in your head, imagining the launch day celebration. 🎉
But here’s the thing—your enthusiasm doesn’t equal market demand.
Just because YOU think your idea is amazing doesn’t mean your audience will pull out their credit card for it. And that’s not a dig at your idea, it’s just reality. The graveyard of failed digital products is full of brilliant concepts that nobody wanted to buy.
Validation is your insurance policy against building something nobody needs.
When you validate your digital product idea properly, you:
Think of validation as a conversation with your future customers. You’re not guessing what they want—you’re asking them, watching them, and letting their responses guide your next move.
And the best part? You can validate an idea in days, not months. Sometimes in hours.
Before we get into HOW to validate your digital product idea, let’s talk about the biggest mistake I see people make: asking friends and family what they think.
“Hey Mom, would you buy a course about meal planning?”
“Oh honey, that sounds wonderful! I’d definitely buy that!”
Spoiler alert: Mom is lying to you. Not maliciously, though—she loves you and wants to be supportive.
Friends and family are the WORST people to validate your idea with because:
Real validation doesn’t come from people who love you. It comes from strangers who would actually spend money on your solution.
When I was validating my toolkit (the one that actually worked, unlike my failed course), I didn’t ask my friends if they liked the idea. I posted in Facebook groups asking, “What’s your biggest struggle with launching a digital product?” and watched what people said.
I looked at what questions kept coming up. I paid attention to where people were already spending money. That’s validation—not “would you buy this?” but “show me you have this problem.”
The first rule of validation: your product needs to solve a hyper-specific problem that people actually have, and that they’re actively trying to solve right now.
Not a problem you THINK they have. Not a problem that sounds important. A real problem that keeps them up at night or frustrates them during their day.
Here’s how to tell if you’re onto something real when you validate your digital product idea:
Open Facebook groups, Reddit threads, or Instagram comments where your target audience hangs out. Search for keywords related to your idea. Then ask yourself:
If you can find the same problem coming up over and over again in different conversations, you’re onto something. If you’re searching and searching and can’t find anyone talking about it? 🚩 Red flag.
Look for evidence that people are currently spending money to solve this problem:
When I was validating my toolkit ideas, I saw people buying expensive software, hiring VAs and freelancers, and subscribing to all sorts of courses—all because they were desperate to find a way to turn their ideas into digital profits.
That’s when I knew: okay, there’s real pain here AND people are willing to pay to fix it.
Now that you know you’re solving a real problem, it’s time to get into the trenches with your target audience.
This isn’t about sending out a survey and calling it a day. This is about immersing yourself in their world and paying attention to the language they use, the frustrations they express, and the solutions they’re craving.
Where to find your people:
What to look for:
Here’s a pro move: screenshot or save the actual comments and language people use. When it comes time to write your sales copy, you can literally use their words back to them because you’ll know exactly how they describe their pain.
I spent a full week just lurking in content creator groups before I validated my toolkit idea. I saved over 30 comments where people said things like “I’m so inconsistent” or “I have too many ideas” or “I don’t know where to start.” That language became the foundation of my sales pages, and it converted like crazy because it felt like I was reading their minds.
Okay, now comes the scary part—actually asking people if they’d buy your solution.
But we’re NOT doing the “hey would you buy this?” question that gets you useless answers. We’re being strategic about it when we validate your digital product idea.
This is hands-down the best way to validate your digital product idea. You’re going to sell your product before you fully create it.
I know, I know. That sounds backwards. But hear me out.
Here’s how it works:
If people buy it before it exists? You’ve validated your idea. Now you go build it knowing you already have customers waiting. If nobody buys? You’ve saved yourself weeks of work on something that wouldn’t have sold anyway. Pivot and try again.
I did this with a mini-course I was considering creating. I wrote a sales page, sent it to my tiny email list of 112 people at the time, and said “I’m creating this, it launches in two weeks, early bird price is $47.”
Eight people bought it immediately.
Eight pre-sales gave me the confidence AND the financial cushion to actually create it. Plus, I could ask those eight people exactly what they wanted to see included—so I built something I knew they’d love.
If selling something that doesn’t exist yet feels too bold, try the waitlist approach:
A good rule of thumb: if you can get 20-50 people on a waitlist without paid ads, you’ve got something worth building. If you’re struggling to get 10 people interested? Your idea might need tweaking.
This is exactly where the Sis, Just Launch It AI Toolkit becomes your best friend. Writing sales pages, creating landing page copy, and figuring out how to describe your offer before it exists? That’s intimidating as hell when you’re new to this.
The toolkit includes AI prompts that help you craft pre-sale pages, write waitlist descriptions, and create all the validation content you need—without spending hours staring at a blank screen wondering if your words sound convincing enough. It’s like having a copywriting mentor guiding you through each step.
Want to really validate your digital product idea? Talk to actual humans.
I know—terrifying. But also incredibly valuable.
Reach out to 5-10 people who fit your target audience and ask if you can interview them for 15-20 minutes. You’re not selling to them (yet). You’re gathering information.
Questions to ask:
The magic happens in these conversations. People will tell you exactly what they need, what they’re willing to pay, and what’s missing from current solutions. You’re literally getting a roadmap for your product straight from your future customers.
Plus, some of these people might become your first buyers—or even better, your testimonials and case studies.
Here’s something most people don’t think about when they validate a digital product idea: you need to validate your PRICE, not just your concept.
Just because people want your solution doesn’t mean they’ll pay what you’re planning to charge for it.
When you’re doing your validation (whether it’s pre-sales, waitlist, or conversations), mention your intended price point and watch for reactions.
I originally planned to sell my toolkit for $17. During validation conversations, someone literally said, “Wait, only $17? I’d pay $97 for this.”
That one comment made me rethink my pricing, and I ended up launching at $67—which felt right for the value I was providing.
Don’t be afraid to test different price points during validation. You can always adjust before your official launch.
So what does success look like when you’re working to validate your digital product idea?
Here are the green lights you’re looking for:
✅ You can easily find people actively talking about the problem
✅ People are already spending money on related solutions
✅ At least 20-30 people join your waitlist or 5-10 people pre-purchase
✅ When you mention your idea, people immediately say “yes, I need that!”
✅ People ask specific questions about features (showing real interest)
✅ You get unprompted messages from people wanting to know when it launches
If you’re seeing most of these signs? You’ve got a winner. Build that thing.
Okay, real talk. What if you go through all these steps and your idea… doesn’t validate?
First, don’t take it personally. This happens to everyone—even the most successful digital product creators have had ideas that flopped during validation. That’s literally the POINT of validation: to find out before you waste time building.
Second, look at the data and ask yourself:
Sometimes a small pivot is all you need. Change the angle, adjust the target audience, or reframe the problem you’re solving.
I had a course idea about “building your personal brand” that totally flopped during validation. Turns out, that was too vague. When I narrowed it to “building your brand as a digital product creator,” suddenly people were interested. Same core concept, different framing.
Let’s bring this home with a simple, actionable plan you can start TODAY to validate your digital product idea.
The entire validation process can happen in 2-3 weeks max. Compare that to the 3 months I wasted building something nobody wanted, and you’ll see why this step is non-negotiable.
Here’s what I wish someone had told me before I built that failed course:
Your job isn’t to create the most comprehensive, perfectly polished product. Your job is to create something people actually want to buy.
And the only way to know if they want to buy it? Ask them. Watch them. Test your idea with real people who have real problems and real credit cards.
Validation isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being smart. It’s about working smarter, not harder. It’s about building something that makes money instead of something that collects digital dust on your hard drive.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start validating—to finally build a digital product that people actually buy—the Sis, Just Launch It AI Toolkit is your secret weapon. It walks you through every step of validation with AI prompts that help you craft your messaging, create your testing pages, and gather feedback like a pro. No more staring at blank pages wondering what to say. No more second-guessing yourself into paralysis.
You’ve got an idea. Now go validate your digital product idea before you build it.
Your future self (and your bank account) will thank you.
Digital Product AI Creator & Mentor