How to Validate an App Idea: 12 Smart Steps to Test Your Concept Before You Build

So you’ve got an idea for an app. You think it might be a good one. Now what? Before you invest thousands of dollars in development, you need to know: Will the market value your app enough to use it regularly? That’s where app idea validation comes in. In this post, we’ll define app validation, explain when to do it, and walk you through a 12-step process to validate your app idea with confidence.

What is App Validation? 

App validation is the process of confirming that your app idea solves a real problem for a specific audience and has real market demand. It’s how you reduce risk before committing resources to design and development. 

The app validation process typically includes: 

• Market research 
• Customer interviews
• Competitor analysis
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development
• Key metrics tracking

By following a structured validation process, you can avoid building a product no one wants and instead create something people are eager to use.

Why Validate? When Should You Validate an App Idea? 

Developing and marketing an app can be expensive, so before you pull the trigger, it’s always a good practice to take a step back and understand the risks and rewards of starting development. Once you’ve taken your app idea through a validation process, you’ll have:

• Evidence of demand
• Feedback to improve your idea
• Clarity on the best way to build
• Confidence to move forward or walk away

When should you validate an app idea? Ideally, as early as possible—even before you seek funding. The earlier you validate, the more you can shape your app around actual user needs and avoid wasted effort.

How to Validate if Your App is a Good Idea: A 12-Step Process 

1. Define the Problem You’re Trying to Solve 

The first, and maybe the most important, step to validating an app idea is to make sure it solves a real problem. Even the most creative app ideas won’t go very far if they don’t create value for a specific group of people. Ideally, your app idea should be a combination of inventive and useful. You might even consider writing out a problem statement to crystallize the pain you’re trying to address. A good problem statement should answer: 

• Who has the problem?  
• What is the problem? 
• Why is the problem important? 
• How does your app solve the problem? 

For example, a dog-sitting app might have a problem statement like: “We help busy dog owners find quality care for the creatures they love by connecting them with verified local pet sitters.”  

2. Estimate the Size of Your Potential Market

Even if your app would solve a significant problem for a group of target users, your idea probably won’t be successful if there aren’t enough people in that group. How many people should you be looking for? The answer will vary depending on your app and marketing strategy. If you’re planning to charge a monthly fee of $50 to access the app, you won’t need as many prospects as you would if you were to release a $0.99 app.

Learn more: 6 Strategies to Monetize Your App

To get an idea of how large your total addressable market (TAM) is, type a few search terms that your prospects would use to find a solution to the problem your app solves into Google Ad Planner. You can also look for social media groups or forums that focus on the issue your app addresses.

3. Listen to What Your Audience is Saying

To create an app that people will use regularly, you’ll need to get inside the minds of your prospects. Dig into forums, Reddit, Facebook groups, and app reviews to hear how people describe their problems. Conduct interviews with real users to:

• Understand their frustrations
• Hear what they’ve tried
• Learn what they want in a solution

 The more questions you ask, the more you’ll understand and the better you’ll be at meeting their needs in an exceptional way.

Tip: The language your audience uses will help shape your positioning later.

4. Look at What’s Trending

Browse the App Store and Google Play to see which app types perform well. Are similar apps gaining traction? If your idea aligns with larger trends, that’s a signal worth noting.

5. Analyze Your Competition

Competitive research doesn’t mean avoiding crowded spaces; it means understanding them. Identify apps that solve similar problems:

• What features do they offer?
• How many downloads and reviews do they have?
• What are users complaining about?

Use tools like Ubersuggest, Keywords Everywhere, and Google Trends to analyze their visibility and growth. Then, figure out what your app can do better or differently.

6. Engage with the Community

The sooner you can engage with the community you’re trying to reach, the better you’ll be able to validate your app concept. For example, if your target audience is healthcare professionals, see if you can attend a medical conference or event for folks in that field. Talk about your app idea and solicit feedback. Who knows, you may discover something you hadn’t considered before—like a challenge or nuance your app will need to overcome. It’s always better to learn your assumptions were wrong on the front end than after pouring time and money into your app. In the best-case scenario, the community affirms your assumption that your app would address an important need. Rather than just listening to your audience like you did in Step 3, engaging with them will also help you generate a buzz about your app and what you’re trying to accomplish. 

7. Map the Customer Journey for Your App

Now that you have more information about your audience, it’s time to map your customer’s journey. This is when you’ll need to start zooming in and considering how your customers will interact with your app. You should be asking yourself questions like: 

• How and where will my customer hear about the app? 
• Why would my customer choose to download and use this app over a different option? 
• What features in the app will help my customer solve their need? 
• What will the app experience feel like to my customers? 

There are plenty of free templates online to create your own customer journey map, but an old-fashioned pencil and piece of paper will work just as well. What’s important is that you understand and can articulate the user’s interaction with your app.

8. Ask for Feedback from Experts  

You’re not the first to start with an idea and turn it into an app. That’s good news because it means plenty of people have gone through the app validation process and might be willing to help you. Try:

• Startup forums
• Entrepreneur groups on LinkedIn
• Local accelerators or incubators
• Meetup.com groups

Experts can help you spot blind spots, improve your pitch, and make early connections.

9. Find Initial Funding 

Unless you’re planning to create a prototype of your app with your own money, you’ll need to find at least a partner or two who believe in your idea and want to help you make it happen. The experts you talked to in Step 8 can be a great resource for you as you seek funding. You’ll want to approach people who have invested in similar ideas at a similar stage. Try searching for pre-seed funding options and incubators in your area, as these are often a great source of money and other support for app development. Crowdfunding or fundraising from friends and family is also a common way to pull together the initial investment needed to make your minimum viable product. 

10. Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Testing

After you’ve worked your way through the previous steps, you should have a thorough understanding of your audience and a rough idea of how large that audience is. If you’re still confident that your idea has potential, it’s time to create a minimum viable product (MVP).

An MVP is similar to a prototype in that it’s not a fully developed product. However, an MVP is fully functional. You can put it out into the world to see how it performs. You’ll only build out the most important features that are needed to solve the primary pain points you’re targeting, so you won’t spend excess time and money on development. The app will function just like the “real” one will, but it won’t have all the features you’re planning to eventually include.

Once you have your MVP, you can put it out into the market for feedback. In addition to sharing it in social media groups and forums, you can spread the word to your network and ask your contacts to share the app with people in your target audience. Also, go back to the people you interviewed in Step 3 and ask for their feedback.

11. Launch a “Coming Soon” Page

You can do this step either before or after you create your MVP. If you want some additional assurance that there’s a market out there that’s hungry for your app before you build it, create a “Coming Soon” launch page. This page should be simple and clearly communicate your app’s unique value proposition (UVP) in just a headline or two. You’ll collect email addresses via a form with a CTA that reads, “Tell me when it’s ready!” or something similar.

Once your page is built, promote it via social media or low-cost ads. Track email signups and engagement as an early indicator of demand. As a bonus, once your app launches, you’ll have a list of opt-in prospects ready to go, giving you a jumpstart on marketing.

12. Turn Your Insights into a Game Plan 

Now that you’ve validated your app, it’s time to identify what you need to make it real. 

• Do you need more funding?
• Do you need a development partner?
• Are you ready to build out the full product?

Set benchmarks that indicate readiness (e.g., number of MVP users, waitlist signups, customer interviews). When you hit those goals, you’ll know it’s time to move forward.

While there are no guarantees in life, if you follow these 12 steps, you’ll have a pretty good idea if your idea has merit or if it will fall flat once you release it. The time you spend on researching and validating your app ahead of time will be both time and money saved in multiples later.

Common Mistakes to Avoid During App Validation

• Skipping user interviews and relying on assumptions
• Building too many features too soon
• Ignoring what competitors are doing
• Focusing on vanity metrics instead of engagement

Avoiding these pitfalls will save time and money—and lead to a better product.

Your App Validation Roadmap at a Glance 

Validating your app isn’t just a good idea, it’s the right way to avoid waste on a product the market doesn’t want. By embracing these key app validation concepts, you can test the waters and launch with confidence. 

• Define the problem your app solves. 
• Understand your audience’s pain points. 
• Analyze competitors and trends. 
• Talk to users and gather feedback. 
• Find support for an MVP. 
• Build excitement for your product. 
• Turn your insights into a game plan. 

Looking for an expert to weigh in on your idea or transform your concept into a functional MVP? Schedule a free consultation with Designli to take the next right step in your product journey. 

You might also like:

• Launching Your App on iOS or Android: Which is Best?
• How Do Free Apps Make Money
• Proof of Concept, Prototype, or MVP: Which is the Best Choice for Your Software Idea?