Stop Building, Start Selling: How to Pre-Sell Your SaaS Idea
Validation is not a survey. Validation is a credit card number. If you can't sell the promise of the product, you won't be able to sell the product either.
What is Smoke Test?
Smoke Test is Setting up a landing page for a non-existent product to measure how many people try to buy it.
The 3 Core Benefits
Funding the Development
Pre-sales give you the cash to pay for servers, domains, or even a freelancer to help you build the thing.
Building the Right List
A list of 10 people who paid $50 is worth more than a list of 1,000 people who signed up for free.
Obsessive Focus
When you owe people a product, you stop procrastinating. You ship. It creates "Good Pressure."
The Pre-Sale Funnel
The "Result_Oriented" Landing Page
Don't talk about features (which don't exist). Talk about the result. "Get X outcome in Y days."
The Discount Hook
Offer a "Founding Member" Lifetime Deal. "Buy now for $49, price goes to $99/mo at launch." Greed is a powerful motivator.
The Risk Reversal
Offer a 100% Money-Back Guarantee. "If we don't launch by [Date], I refund you instantly." This removes the fear of vaporware.
Manual Onboarding
Once they pay, email them personally. "You are amazing. I am building this for you. What is the #1 thing you need?"
Social Proof
Even without a product, you can show a "Trusted By" section with logos of early commits or partners to increase conversion.
Building then Selling vs. Pre-Selling Strategy
| Feature | Building then Selling | Pre-Selling Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Risk | High (Month of wasted work) | Zero (Only build if sold) |
| Confidence | Guessing | Certainty |
| Cost | Time + Money | Profit First |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this ethical?
Yes, as long as you are transparent that it is a "Pre-order" and offer a refund. Kickstarter has done this for decade.
What if I can't build it?
Refund everyone. Apologize. You lost nothing but pride, and you gained the knowledge that you can market.
How do I take payment?
Stripe Payment Links. You don't even need to code a checkout flow. Just paste the link on a button.
What makes a launch channel high intent?
High-intent channels have users actively searching for solutions, not just browsing a feed.
How many channels should I launch on?
Start with 3-5 strong channels, measure conversions, then expand to 10-12 over time.
How do I avoid launch fatigue?
Stagger your launches and reuse assets so each channel gets a focused push.
What should I measure after launch?
Track qualified signups, backlinks, and demo requests, not just raw traffic.
How does Mesh of Growth fit with other platforms?
Use Mesh for compounding reviews and backlinks while other platforms provide short-term spikes.
Ready to get instant traffic from trusted founders?
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