[soneca]

Why the most important word of an early stage startup validation is missing here? "Customers". The only thing that matters of your whole paragraph is "validation". Explain this better, somehow I feel that it isn't exactly validating the idea with customers.

The main thing a non-tech founder can bring to the table is customer development. Focus on that, as they are practical things. Don't try so hard to be the "self-taught MBA guy". Just do your customer development very well. If a tech co-founder trust that you know your customers, than you have chance to attract a very good one.

[throwaway789123]

I'm in that rut where customers say "Interesting idea, show me how well it works" and the technical guys say "Show me customers that are onboard before I build the thing".

I get what you are saying though. Obviously having a product to show customers will be huge in acquiring them.

[soneca]

You make it sounds like a chicken and egg problem, but it isn't. Customer "saying" "insteresting idea" is not customer development. I have no idea what your business is, but I pretty sure you can validate it without code. There are lots of ways to do that. For an example, check this thread https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5424206 Look how much validation they got! And - except for the demo, which isn't the core thing of their landing page - there is no code in there. Actually, we don't even know if the founder can code or if they are just "idea guys" (ok, you can assume they aren't, but nothing there prove they aren't).

There are dozens of examples of MVP that don't use any code out there, just google it. "Concierge MVPs", "Fake it before you make it" MVPs, find a strategy for your own. Just find something stronger than "I talked to a few customer and they told me is an interestgin idea and want me to show them how it works".

[throwaway789123]

You are right. However since my product is a social consumer-facing product, it is harder to validate without having something to show users (and honestly the marketing will be more important here). The customer portion of my app/business comes from the data gathered and it is hard to show how useful that data is without some real examples (and no I'm not gathering this data maliciously).

I will look into making a page like those "Fake it before you make it" MVPs.

[soneca]

A google result with good examples: http://kontrary.com/2012/05/03/how-to-fake-it-until-you-make...