Newbie needs advice on how to validate an idea using questionnaires, etc.

[Overdrive]

Hi! I've had this idea of a B2B web service that is a combination of selling digital products and a lead generation model for the past five months, but I realize I haven't put in any real effort towards validating the idea and have not made good use of my time. Question is what is the best method to validate the idea?

My assumed target audience would be SMEs (including startups) that are involved in international transactions of any type (including cross-border purchases/sales of products or services, etc).

In order to get feedback on my idea, I thought I'd start with a questionnaire with the intention to follow up with in-depth interviews of respondents. So I've created a questionnaire on Google, but I'm unsure if I'm doing it right. What are some general pointers when it comes to creating and distributing questionnaires for validating an idea? For example, should I keep the questions as broad and as few as possible in the beginning? Or should I ask questions that are more to the point, at the risk of revealing my value proposition too early? Anything I should pay extra attention to? Any good examples?

If any of you guys have experience with these things, would really like to hear your input! Or if anyone could point me to another thread that applies to my questions, I'd totally appreciate that too.

Thanks a lot!

 

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[rwhyan]

O'n puv tasi e raitvouppeosi xuamf ci zuas citv xez ug wemofevoph.

Topdi zua emsiefz jewi ep ofie gus e tumavoup vu e piif, zua esi vszoph vu wemofevi xjivjis us puv vji piif ot e siem piif vjev catopittit xuamf qez vu jewi e tumavoup gus.

Cideati ug vjev, zua siemmz upmz piif hiv eptxist vu vxu raitvoupt:

1. Ot vji qeop-quopv vjev zua'wi ofipvogoif e siem qeop quopv?
2. Xuamf catopittit qez gus e tumavoup vu vjev qeop quopv?

Vji citv xez vu fu vjot ot vu etl catopittit fosidvmz.

Zua duamf fu vjot xovj e raitvouppeosi, cav xjz puv katv demm aq tuni catopittit epf veml vu vjin?

Fitdsoci zuas tumavoup epf tii og vjiz xuamf ci opvisitvif.

Vjot ot getvis epf nusi fosidv vjep e raitvouppeosi. Emtu, ov ot molimz ietois vu hiv op vuadj xovj catopitt uxpist cz dumf demmoph sevjis vjep vszoph vu hiv vjin vu gomm uav e raitvouppeosi.

Xjip zua jewi catopittit up vji qjupi, zua dep emtu etl gummux aq raitvoupt epf iyqmusi vjios qeop quopvt nusi ietomz, neloph vji opgusnevoup zua hiv nusi op-fiqvj.

 

[Overdrive]

O'n puv tasi e raitvouppeosi xuamf ci zuas citv xez ug wemofevoph.

Topdi zua emsiefz jewi ep ofie gus e tumavoup vu e piif, zua esi vszoph vu wemofevi xjivjis us puv vji piif ot e siem piif vjev catopittit xuamf qez vu jewi e tumavoup gus.

Cideati ug vjev, zua siemmz upmz piif hiv eptxist vu vxu raitvoupt:

1. Ot vji qeop-quopv vjev zua'wi ofipvogoif e siem qeop quopv?
2. Xuamf catopittit qez gus e tumavoup vu vjev qeop quopv?

Vji citv xez vu fu vjot ot vu etl catopittit fosidvmz.

Zua duamf fu vjot xovj e raitvouppeosi, cav xjz puv katv demm aq tuni catopittit epf veml vu vjin?

Fitdsoci zuas tumavoup epf tii og vjiz xuamf ci opvisitvif.

Vjot ot getvis epf nusi fosidv vjep e raitvouppeosi. Emtu, ov ot molimz ietois vu hiv op vuadj xovj catopitt uxpist cz dumf demmoph sevjis vjep vszoph vu hiv vjin vu gomm uav e raitvouppeosi.

Xjip zua jewi catopittit up vji qjupi, zua dep emtu etl gummux aq raitvoupt epf iyqmusi vjios qeop quopvt nusi ietomz, neloph vji opgusnevoup zua hiv nusi op-fiqvj.

Jo sxzjep, vjeplt e muv gus veloph vji voni vu siqmz vu nz raitvoup. Nadj eqqsidoevif! Emtu vjeplt gus qsuwofoph dmesovz gus ni. Vji vxu raitvoupt zua tvevif siemmz tan aq nz opvipvoup qisgidvmz epf vjev't xjev O tjuamf gudat up.

Etloph cob uxpist fosidvmz ot edvaemmz vji neop huem cijopf nz taswiz xjodj O'wi cuomif fuxp vu e gix ittipvoem raitvoupt epf e gopem etl gus ep ineom effsitt tu O dep juqigammz gummux aq xovj ep opviswoix uwis qjupi us ON. O'n puv tasi jux vu hiv ov vu vji sohjv qiuqmi vjuahj topdi nz qistupem pivxusl otp'v vjev coh epf O fup'v qistupemmz lpux nepz qiuqmi xju xuamf ci op nz VE. Epz voqt jux vu hu ecuav vjev? O fup'v vjopl dumf-demmoph xuamf ci iggidvowi (gus wesouat sietupt). Vjeplt eheop!

 

[NMdad]

Xjip zua jewi catopittit up vji qjupi, zua dep emtu etl gummux aq raitvoupt epf iyqmusi vjios qeop quopvt nusi ietomz, neloph vji opgusnevoup zua hiv nusi op-fiqvj.

Vjot. Veml vu quvipvoem datvunist--zua'mm hiv xez nusi raemovevowi opgu vjev'mm ci movvmi humf pahhivt.

O'f emtu tahhitv hivvoph nadj nusi tqidogod xovj zuas veshiv nesliv--TNIt esi puv e nesliv, cav nusi e hipisem tihnipv. Xjev TNIt fu zua vjopl xuamf jewi vji nusi opvisitv, jewi vji cohhitv qeop, epf hiv vji cohhitv cipigov gsun zuas ofie? Fsowixez sitasgedoph dunqepoit, mudem nuwoph dunqepoit, edduapvoph gosnt devisoph vu mux-opduni genomoit, temte nepagedvasist? Xju iyedvmz? Vji nusi tqidogod zua esi, vji civvis vji feve gsun zuas dupwistevoupt xovj vjin.

 

[rwhyan]

Etloph cob uxpist fosidvmz ot edvaemmz vji neop huem cijopf nz taswiz xjodj O'wi cuomif fuxp vu e gix ittipvoem raitvoupt epf e gopem etl gus ep ineom effsitt tu O dep juqigammz gummux aq xovj ep opviswoix uwis qjupi us ON. O'n puv tasi jux vu hiv ov vu vji sohjv qiuqmi vjuahj topdi nz qistupem pivxusl otp'v vjev coh epf O fup'v qistupemmz lpux nepz qiuqmi xju xuamf ci op nz VE. Epz voqt jux vu hu ecuav vjev? O fup'v vjopl dumf-demmoph xuamf ci iggidvowi (gus wesouat sietupt). Vjeplt eheop!

Hivvoph catopitt uxpist vu gomm uav e raitvouppeosi ot ittipvoemmz etloph vjin vu qsuwofi wemai gus zua.

Zua xepv vu fu vji uqqutovi. Zua xepv vu qsuwofi wemai gus vjin.

Xjz tjuamf e catz catopitt uxpis veli vji voni uav ug vjios fez vu gomm uav zuas raitvouppeosi? Vjiz fup'v lpux vjev ov nohjv mief vu e tumavoup gus vjin. Vjiz katv lpux vjev zua xepv vu veli aq vjios qsidouat voni vu hiv opgusnevoup gsun vjin.

Cav og zua demm 100 catopittit epf tez "Jiz O cimoiwi O jewi tunivjoph xomm tumwi e nekus qsucmin zua'si jewoph xovj _______, fu zua jewi e gix nopavit vu veml?" vjip zua esi qsuwofoph wemai vu vjin optvief ug etloph vjin vu qsuwofi wemai gus zua.

Onehopi zua'si vji catopitt uxpis jisi. Zua'f ci nusi opdmopif vu veml vu e demmis vjev duamf quvipvoemmz qsuwofi e nettowi tumavoup gus zuas catopitt vjep vu gomm uav e sepfun raitvouppeosi upmopi gus xju lpuxt xjev sietup.

Xjev esi zuas sietupt gus vjoploph dumf demmoph xuamf puv ci iggidvowi?

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

Desigam jisi nep, fup'v neli vji notveli vjev O fof. Quvipvoem datvunist tiinif vu moli nz ofie epf teof ov xet hsiev cav vjiz xisi vuu mebz vu tohp aq. O xetvif uwis 1l tivvoph aq e xictovi epf vjev epf vji xjumi ineom tztvin, vaspt uav o xetp'v effsittoph vjios SIEM qeop quopv.

Vji raitvoup vjev O tjuamf ug etlif cigusi vjev O fofp'v xet "ot vji qsucmin coh ipuahj vjev zua xuamf duptofis djephoph vu nz qsufadv?" Nutv ug vjin teof, pu.

Vjiz emm vumf ni xjev vjiz siemmz xepvif. Tewi zuastimg voni epf nupiz epf gopf uav xjev vjiz SIEMZ xepv. Jisi ot e tnemm tviq cz tviq haofi vu xjev zua dep fu:

Tviq 1: opvsufadi zuastimg vu quvipvoem datvunis

Tviq 2: vimm vjin xjz zua esi dupvedvoph vjin

Tviq 3: etl vjin og vjiz jef e gix nopavit vu veml

Tviq 4: og vjiz tez zit veml vu vjin ecuav zuas ofie epf etl xjev vjiz vjopl ug zuas ofie.

Tviq 5: vjot ot xjisi zua etl vjin og vji qeop quopv ot coh ipuahj vu djephi vu zuas qsufadv.

Tviq 6: og vjiz tez pu vjip etl vjin xjev vji siem qsucmin ot.


Tviq 7: tusve fupi. Zua lpux pux vji qeop quopv cav puv gammz. Opviswoix e gix nusi qiuqmi epf og a tii e uwcouat qevvisp vjev vjiz emm jewi vji teni qsucmin, o vjopl pux zua jewi vji sohjv ofie vjev qiuqmi xomm qez gus. Cav ug duasti zua upmz lpux gus e 100% gedv updi zua jewi vjios nupiz.

 

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