How to Know If Your Product Is Actually Viable
I am deep into the total rebrand of Zoe Organics, which involves a complete overhaul of our visual identity and packaging, scrutinizing each SKU, re-evaluating our target market and their preferences and so much more. It is tedious and exciting and absolutely necessary for a strong re-launch planned for early 2026. When I first launched Zoe Organics in 2010, I went at it with a giant leap of naive faith and I proceeded to learn a million lessons (some very expensive ones) in the preceding 14 years. This time around, I have the benefit of all of these lessons, so I can take a much more intentional approach built upon some actual wisdom.
The idea for Zoe Organics came in 2008 and it took about two years to test it and bring it to market. If you have a product idea that you are contemplating bringing to market, you are in the right place—because I’m going to save you some time and money by helping you to validate your idea or know when it’s time to pivot.
There’s one question all founders should ask sooner:
“Does anyone actually want this… or do I just want to make it?”
It’s the question that separates passion projects from products that sell.
Most founders fall in love with their idea too early and spend months (and thousands of dollars) perfecting packaging and branding before they’ve proven that anyone else cares.
Here are 5 non-negotiable steps to take before launching a new product.
Step 1: Start With the Problem, Not the Product
Most great ideas start with a real person solving a real problem. Have you ever been struggling with something and thought, “geez, I really wish someone would invent ___ to make my life easier”? What are some of your favorite products? What problems do they solve for you?
Before you even begin to work on packaging, ingredients or design, you must first ask:
What real problem does this solve?
Who feels that problem deeply enough to pay for a solution?
If you can’t describe the problem in a single sentence and if you don’t know real people who experience it regularly, you’re not ready to create the product. When I began formulating for what would become Zoe Organics, I had a real need; my infant and toddler had sensitive skin that reacted to many conventional “baby” products—and after diving into the research about toxins in our personal care products—I began scrutinizing labels and saw a huge gap in the market for safe, organic, plant based skincare products for babies and families. There were a few brands on the market, but the plastic packaging and branding didn’t connect with me at all. The problem my products would solve: providing safe, organic skincare for babies’ sensitive skin that appealed to the modern mom. I understood the problem I wanted to solve for me, but would this problem resonate with other moms? I had a really big hunch that it would, but I needed to test that hypothesis.
Do the work: interview people. Real humans. Not just your friends. You’ll uncover language, frustrations, and needs that can reshape your product before you even start formulating.
Step 2: Define Your Ideal Customer
A viable product doesn’t need to appeal to everyone, but it needs to deeply resonate with your target audience. Picture your ideal customer and be able to define:
What’s their daily life like?
Where do they currently shop?
What alternatives are they already using?
What frustrates them about those alternatives?
What are their values and how do those values shape their buying behavior?
If you don’t know your customer, you can’t design for them. So, gather as much information about them as you can. Luckily for me, I was my ideal customers and was surrounded by other moms who turned out to be too. I began asking them what products they currently used, what they liked or disliked about them, what mattered to them most when choosing baby products, and what they wished for that wasn’t already available. I asked what they would be willing to pay for premium quality, organic products, and if they cared about packaging materials and the effects on the environment. I shared research on the benefits of plant-based ingredients and the potentially harmful effects of toxic ingredients in conventional baby products to see if the message resonated. I connected with my kids’ pediatrician, asking about the most common skin concerns, and for his recommendations.
Do the work: Study your customer and industry carefully. Do not rely on your own preferences and values, even if you fit your ideal customer profile. You should be able to produce a lot of information through online research and in-person interviews.
Step 3: Test Demand
You don’t need to go all out with a finished product to test demand. You just need a concept and a way to measure interest.
Well before I spent any time or money on branding, I started with a small focus group of moms I could trust that I shared samples of my formulas with. All of the early iterations were based upon feedback from trying these samples. These early adopters provided invaluable feedback in these very beginning stages—especially because some of those samples were flops. But I learned so much from the process and some of those original formulas are still best sellers today!
You don’t have to have product yet to test demand. I was able to do it very economically because I started by making products myself from my home kitchen. If your product requires expensive prototypes or manufacturing, here are some other ways to test demand:
Create a Survey or Focus Group:
Send a simple Google Form or host a 30-minute Zoom call with potential customers.
Describe your product’s key features (create a mock-up or visual)
Get feedback, gauge interest and a willingness to pay.
Offer a small thank-you (discount or free sample later).
Pre-Sell your Product:
Offer pre-orders or a paid pilot (even if it’s a small batch).
Nothing validates demand like money changing hands.
Create a Landing Page Test:
Create a one-page site describing your idea and its benefits.
Add a “Join the Waitlist” or “Get Early Access” button.
Drive a target number of visitors through social media or friends.
Track how many sign up.
If your conversion rate is too low, rethink your offer.
Step 4: Run the Math Early
This is where many founders get blindsided. You might have a great idea—but if it can’t hit viable margins, it’s not sustainable.
Ask yourself:
What’s my cost per unit or COGS (raw materials, packaging, labor, shipping )?
What retail and wholesale prices make sense in this category?
Does that leave me a healthy margin?
If not, you need to revisit your materials, packaging, or positioning.
This is a critical piece. Founders are notorious dreamers and sometimes we go all out, creating with abandon in our heads, but don’t think about market fit.
When I developed the formulas for Zoe Organics, COGS (cost of goods sold) was a term I understood in theory, but putting all the pieces together was not as easy as it seemed. I got carried away with expensive oils and ridiculously time-consuming processes that would never give us a healthy margin for a product in our category. Creating an expensive face oil is one thing, but there is a limit to what a customer will pay for a diaper balm. I had to spend a lot of time pricing out raw materials, packaging, doing time studies for labor costs and knowing the price range my customers would pay for my products.
A word about product containers and packaging: Don’t blow your budget on fancy custom containers that require 10K MOQ before you have a proven product. During the early stages, you might need to make changes and improvements and committing to tons of expensive, custom packaging that can’t be tweaked can have big consequences. Start with some great stock containers that you know you can consistently replenish and that don’t break the bank. The beauty of starting small, is being nimble. This brings me to my last point.
Step 5: Fall in Love With Feedback, Not Perfection
The best founders aren’t the ones with flawless ideas—they’re the ones who listen well and iterate fast.
Before you finalize anything, get your idea into the hands of real testers. Watch how they use it. Ask what they’d change. Your early testers will shape your brand far more effectively than any designer or consultant ever could.
Set up a booth at a few markets or events so you can pass out samples, demo, and talk to your target customer for real-time feedback. Don’t take feedback personally. Use it to refine your product.
The best brands start lean, with proof. No amount of beautiful packaging can save a product that doesn’t solve a real problem or need.
The good news is that you can avoid wasting time and money by listening closely to the people you want to serve.
If you are a product founder; what is one thing you wish you’d validated sooner in your own business or product idea? And/or what is something you did that saved you time and expense?
