Got an idea? Good.
Now stop asking for permission.
Most early founders waste months perfecting pitch decks and business plans that no one asked for. It feels like progress. It’s not.
If you haven’t asked someone to buy, you haven’t started.
Your MVP’s job is simple: test if anyone cares enough to pay.
Not to impress. Not to demo. Not to get likes.
To convert.
The Illusion of Progress
Planning is seductive. It looks responsible. Feels smart. But it’s usually procrastination in a PowerPoint costume.
You don’t need a 30-page plan. You need 3 things:
- A real problem
- A clear offer
- A working payment link
That’s it.
Because the only real validation is a transaction.
How to Build Your Buy Button MVP
This is how you start from zero — even with no code, no audience, and no budget.
1. Find a painful, specific problem
Talk to real people. Forget surveys. Have conversations. Ask:
- "What’s a daily/weekly task that frustrates you?"
- "Where are you losing time or money?"
- "What have you tried that didn’t work?"
Look for complaints, hacks, workarounds. That’s where the gold lives.
2. Write a one-sentence promise
What do they get if they pay?
- "We automate your client reports in 2 clicks."
- "Book 10 podcast guests a month without outreach."
- "Launch your SaaS idea with zero code in 7 days."
No fluff. No jargon. Just the outcome.
3. Set up a page that sells
Use Carrd, Webflow, or Notion. Keep it brutal:
- Headline: One sentence.
- Subhead: One paragraph.
- CTA: One button ("Buy now" or "Join waitlist").
If it takes more than 10 minutes to understand, it’s too complicated.
4. Link it to a real payment system
Stripe. Gumroad. Lemon Squeezy. Doesn’t matter.
The point is: people can click and pay.
If they can’t do that, you’re not validating. You’re performing.
What Happens Next?
You send it to 10 real humans with the problem.
No mass blasts. No cold email bots. Direct messages. Real conversations.
You say: "Hey, I made this. Want it?"
Most won’t reply. A few will ask questions. One might pay.
If they do?
- You found signal.
- You now owe them delivery.
- You have leverage for your next step.
If they don’t?
- You adjust the promise.
- You find a sharper problem.
- You go again.
This is how real MVPs are born: by testing, not talking.
What If You Can't Code?
Even better. No excuse to get fancy.
You can:
- Deliver manually through email.
- Use Notion or Google Docs as a dashboard.
- Use Zapier to fake automation.
- Embed Calendly or Typeform for onboarding.
Your job isn’t to scale. It’s to sell.
Do things that don’t scale. Then earn the right to automate.
The Permission Slip
You don’t need a tech cofounder.
You don’t need to raise money.
You don’t need to quit your job.
You don’t need to know how it’ll scale.
You need to:
- Get in front of someone with a problem.
- Make a clear, honest promise.
- Ask for the sale.
That’s it. That’s the MVP.
Everything else can wait.
Recap: From Idea to Income in 48 Hours
- Find 3 people with the same painful problem.
- Write one promise that fixes it.
- Build a one-page site that explains it.
- Add a button that lets them pay.
- Send it. Ask for nothing but the truth.
No funding. No plan. No tech. Just action.
Your idea doesn't need a spreadsheet. It needs a sale.
So build the buy button.
And start.