A startup consultant who tests the idea before you build it

Most startup work isn't a build problem, it's a certainty problem. I help early-stage teams find out whether an idea is worth building before you spend a quarter of runway on it — product strategy, demand validation, and hands-on delivery once the answer is yes.

I ran exactly this for two AI products at Chime Labs: a fake-door test with a decision threshold agreed before the data arrived, which turned ‘should we build this?’ into a question with an answer rather than an argument.

What I actually do

Start with the riskiest assumption, not the roadmap. What has to be true for this to work, and how would you know if it isn't? From there: a landing page with a real signup, a concierge version run manually behind the scenes, a fake door — whatever produces a signal from someone outside the building, in days rather than a quarter.

Once there's real demand, the same practice carries into product strategy and delivery: sequencing what to build against actual capacity, writing down the ‘not now’ list, and shipping the first releasable version myself rather than handing a validated idea off to be rebuilt by someone else.

Good fit if

You have an idea with strong internal conviction and no external evidence. You're a founder-led team without a dedicated product or design hire yet. You have a feature on the roadmap and nobody can say who actually asked for it.

Not a fit if

You need a large build team or ongoing engineering headcount — I'm one senior operator, not a dev shop, and I'll tell you early if that's what you actually need.

Recent work

A pre-registered demand validation test, run before a line of product code was written:

Chime Labs AI Platform

A Sydney AI startup for trades, backed by 500 Global — including the pre-registered demand validation test that shaped the build before a line of product code was written.

Related services:

Demand Validation & Fake-Door Testing →

Product Roadmap Strategy & Discovery →

FAQ

Isn't a fake door dishonest?

It can be. It doesn't have to be — ‘not available yet, want to be told when it is’ is a real signal and an honest message. There are honest versions of every one of these tests.

How fast can we get a signal?

The design takes longer than the running. A test usually takes one to three weeks end to end, built around a threshold agreed before the result arrives.

What happens after validation?

If the signal is real, the same engagement can carry straight into product strategy and delivery — sequencing what to build first and shipping it, rather than handing a validated idea to someone else to rebuild.

Tell me what you're building. I'll tell you if I can help.

Email me →