Nathan Barry: Get Pre-Orders Before You Build
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nathanbarry How do you know if your business idea is actually good? Someone telling you they like your idea...
In the image, a relaxed founder sits on a couch, coffee in hand, with big bold text above his head: “How to identify a good business idea.” Underneath, the punchline is tiny and brutal: “ask customers.” This is the whole game of pre-orders. Stop guessing in a notebook and start charging real people, right now, before you build a thing.
From Compliments To Cash
The cozy bookshelf and casual posture signal something important: this is not a high-tech lab test. It is a living-room conversation with your market. Describe the product, show a mockup, then redirect that “sounds cool” energy to a checkout page. If they will not pull out a credit card while it is still a sketch, they will not magically pay later.
Simple Pre-Order Playbook
- Write a one-page sales pitch and a clear, specific promise.
- Mock up the product with screenshots, sketches, or a short demo video.
- Offer a limited pre-order discount with a concrete delivery date.
- Collect payment, not emails, and cap spots to create urgency.
Pre-Orders In The Wild
Kickstarter lets creators validate demand by collecting millions in pre-orders before a single product ships.
Basecamp pre-sold its Shape Up book and used early orders to guide print runs and marketing.
ConvertKit launched new features by inviting users to pre-pay for early access, proving demand before development costs piled up.
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