Incy TemplatesCustomer Demand Test
A recommended demand test, a runner-up, and the one factor that separated them.
Founders ask friends and family what they think, get polite encouragement, and mistake it for evidence of demand. Opinions are cheap and generous; only real behaviour — clicks, signups, engagement — reliably signals whether anyone actually wants what you're offering.
When to use it
Use once you can state the idea in a sentence and want a real signal before you commit time to building it.
When not to use it
Not useful once you already have real paying customers — that's what Product/Market Fit Tracker is for.
The method
Work out whether your idea is easy to explain in words or needs a demo to click, whether you could fulfil it manually for a handful of real users, whether there's an existing platform your target customers already use, and how many people you need to reach for a meaningful signal. Combining these ranks four named pretotyping techniques — Fake Door Test, Wizard of Oz, YouTube MVP and The Infiltrator — so you get a recommended test and the runner-up it beat.
Ways to use this
Recommended starting point: Customer Demand Test: the GuideGuide — Learn how
Template — Do it yourself
Source
Developed from A Bit Gamey material on pretotyping (Fake Door Test, Wizard of Oz, YouTube MVP, The Infiltrator) and the Market Engagement Hypothesis format for setting a demand threshold before testing.