Why validation fails

Validating demand doesn’t require public feature dumps. You need controlled signals from the right people.

Define an ICP hypothesis and a truth table of strong vs. weak signals (for example, personal email opt-in > social like).
Use soft CTAs: request use-case notes, jobs-to-be-done, or timeframe instead of asking users to book a demo.
Gate specifics. Share problems, not architecture; measure engagement depth over vanity metrics.
Instrument the journey with event-based analytics; tag actions by intent (viewed embed docs, clicked pricing, replied to email).

Where Chromosome helps

Embeddable widgets capture structured interest (ICP fields, goals, CTAs) with minimal friction.
Waitlist segmentation and lightweight follow-ups via developer-friendly email tooling.
Non-intrusive analytics to quantify real intent instead of surface-level engagement.

Outcome

A high-signal pipeline you can confidently act on when you’re ready to go public.

A step-by-step playbook

1. Define ICP hypotheses Capture firmographic and role cues and explicitly document what constitutes a strong signal versus a weak one.

2. Instrument your landing and widget Track intent events such as documentation views, pricing clicks, email replies, or scheduled time using event-based analytics.

3. Create soft CTAs Ask for a 1–2 sentence use case or expected timeline instead of a demo. Measure response quality, not just submission count.

4. Test value propositions in public, details in private Share outcomes and problems broadly while reserving architecture and pricing for high-intent leads.

5. Run weekly signal reviews Prioritize follow-ups by signal strength and continuously refine your truth table and CTAs.

ICP notes: dev tools, data infrastructure, PLG SaaS

Developer tools: prioritize signals like documentation views, copied embed code, or API key creation.
Data infrastructure: look for compliance, security, and data-volume cues; use CTAs like sample schemas or dataset size.
PLG SaaS: track activation proxies such as workspace creation or teammate invites instead of raw signups.

References

1. Ries, Eric. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. Crown Business, 2011. https://theleanstartup.com

2. Ulwick, Anthony W. Jobs to Be Done: Theory to Practice. Strategyn, 2016. https://strategyn.com/jobs-to-be-done/

3. PostHog. Product Analytics Documentation — Event-Based Analytics. https://posthog.com/docs/product-analytics

4. Intercom. Jobs-to-Be-Done: A Framework for Customer-Centered Innovation. https://www.intercom.com/blog/stories/jobs-to-be-done/

5. Resend. Developer-First Email API for Transactional Messaging. https://resend.com