Launching a new product line on a shoestring budget? Sounds simple, just test it out and see what sticks. But is that really the best approach?
This week, we’ve gathered expert insights to challenge the usual assumptions and uncover smarter, more cost-effective ways to validate your product without blowing your budget. Because sometimes, the best answers come from questioning what everyone else takes for granted.
Let’s Talk!
Contribute to Dynamic Business ✍
Frances Pratt, Founder of Metisan
“Great products are built around customers and what they value.
“There are a few simple steps in doing this:
- Start by understanding your hypothesis.
- What is the problem you solve?
- Why does this product or service solve this problem in a better or different way? How do people solve this now?
- What value do you believe this product or service will deliver to your market?
- Test it in the face of your customer
- Go and test your hypothesis and get feedback.
- There is nothing better than doing this face to face – why? Because 57% of communication is completely non-verbal.
Conducting these micro experiments are both inexpensive and invaluable in understanding if you have something that people really want. - Ask them to buy. Why? Because there is a big difference between “Do you like this?” and “Would you buy this?”
- Repeat 1 and 2.
“This process exposes you to new ideas, and a deep understanding of the customer buying journey. Once you understand this, both your selling and marketing have vastly improved traction.
“If you market first, without this knowledge – you are wasting your money and time.”
Claudia Ancuta, Head of Marketing at Vatis Tech
“Testing a new product line on a tight budget? Focus on targeted outreach and iterative feedback.
“Instead of broad marketing campaigns, identify a specific niche audience that would benefit most from your product. Engage directly with a small group of potential users—perhaps 10 to 15 individuals—and offer them early access in exchange for candid feedback.
“This approach allows you to gather valuable insights without significant expenditure. By refining your product based on real user experiences, you can make informed decisions before a full-scale launch.
“Remember, it’s not about reaching everyone at once; it’s about learning quickly and adapting effectively.”
Aurelie Gnany, Founder of BWLL
“When we launched our first product at BWLL, we were on a tight budget – meaning we had to get creative. One of the first things I did was have honest conversations with suppliers. I shared our vision, explained where we wanted to take the brand, and asked if they’d be willing to lower their minimum order quantities so we could test the waters. A few said no, but eventually the right one said yes.
“That gave us room to start small, learn fast, and make better decisions without sitting on piles of stock. We also bundled our new product (mouth tape) with our best-selling nasal strips, so we could test it with existing customers instead of spending more on ads.
“It wasn’t fancy, but it worked. Small budgets force you to stay close to your customers, stay lean, and move fast. Looking back, it was one of the best things we did.”
Angus Keatinge, Co-Founder of and Co-CEO at Quickli
“First rule: if you can’t build it yourself, rethink the whole venture. Your spare evenings cost nothing; a contractor’s hourly rate bleeds your runway. Even clunky code you wrote at midnight is closer to the customer than any polished mock-up someone else ships from a spec.
“Second: camp in the customer’s habitat. Sit at their desk, shadow their workflow, let their pain points slap you in the face instead of filtering through a survey. Two or three raw conversations each week beat a deck of third-hand “insights.” As you absorb the domain, you’ll spot silent friction, the stuff they don’t complain about because it’s baked into their day. Solve that and you’re suddenly indispensable.
“Third: tune your ears, not your ego. Customers rarely hand you the blueprint; they drop hints between lines. Decode patterns, scrap features that don’t move the needle, and keep tightening the feedback loop until you’re shipping tweaks the same night you spot the issue.
“Fourth: protect your focus like it’s equity. New ideas will sprout every time you turn a corner, but scattering attention will sink them all. Nail one promise, deliver it with obsessive detail, and leave the “next big thing” until the first big thing actually delights someone.
“Last: ship a Minimum Awesome Product. Sweat the little touches that make you proud, even if the backend is duct-taped. Customers judge what they can see and feel; they’ll never audit your database schema. When, not if, the concept hits, you’ll have plenty of time to refactor underneath a product people already love.”
Nikhil Daftary, Managing Director at Moments
“One thing we do at Moments before launching any new product line is to tap into our existing community to seek their feedback and thoughts early on. Offering exclusive and first access or discounts in exchange for reviews and feedback has worked well for us. It allows us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the new product line and helps us better understand our customers’ wants.
“Another way to get feedback on new products is through low-cost paid ads. This allows brands to test different value propositions and visuals to see what resonates most with the audience. Tailoring brand and product messaging before the official launch enables you to fine-tune any messaging to ensure relevance for your audience.”
Sangeeta Mudnal, Chief Technology Officer at Glu
“The evolution of AI is giving rise to a new wave of exciting and innovative ways to test a new product line on a small budget.
“As an example, ecommerce business owners testing and launching a new product line can use budget-friendly tools like Glu.ai, a pioneering AI-powered platform built specifically to address campaign bottlenecks.
“The platform is designed for e-commerce teams, social media managers and brands seeking to streamline content creation while maintaining brand consistency.
“This means if you want to test and share a new product line with your customers via an e- commerce platform, the platform automates repetitive tasks and simplifies the entire content production process from creation to publication.
“Whether you’re running a pilot product or gauging audience interest, smart AI tools offer a lean, effective approach to test and scale on a budget.”
Narendra Shukla, Director – Consulting Services at Edwise Consulting
“Validating a new product (digital, physical or otherwise) under a small budget can benefit from a thoughtful approach. The objective is simple: confirm product–market fit before scaling. That means designing lean experiments that minimise risk, generate actionable insights, and help you confidently decide whether to pivot, persevere, or proceed.
“Start by building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)—not a half-cooked version, but one that delivers the essential features that solve the user’s core problem. Prototype or a small batch release can be a great option for physical products. In any case, the MVP is your fastest route to testing value creation, not just usability.
“Without being bogged down in analysis paralysis, keep experiments grounded in real user problems, not internal assumptions. Your testing should be prioritised in a way that each test should answers one critical question.
“Next, get it in front of real users. Initiate a prelaunch campaign or limited release to gauge interest in your product and test market sentiment. Find ways for people to experience your product and its value with no upfront cost.
Design your testing program to learn, adjust, and repeat quickly because that could lead to better, faster decisions—and ultimately, gets you closer to building something the market truly wants.”
Lyn Nguyen, Operations and Logistics Specialist at Auvie Consultants
“Testing fast and cheap is always the best way. Let me break it down.
- If you have a large following and/or highly engaged community, ask your social media team to run polls across your channels. See if the product you’re wanting to release would be of interest to them.
- Run a presale – it’s a good way to raise the funds needed to create a product and at the same time, test demand.
- If you’re at the product stage, start with a small production run. In this case, it’s better to sell out than to be overstocked. It’s all about generating buzz.
- Run Meta ads, focusing on your most loyal customers. You don’t need a large budget for this either. Monitor your conversion rate and use an urgent tone in your copy to drive sales.”
Luke Maddison, Co-Founder & CEO at Sintoro Sales & Marketing
“As the CEO of a marketing agency, I’ve seen companies burn through cash by launching products no one asked for. It happens all the time. The fix is simple: understand your customers before you build anything.
“Talk to them. Ask what problems they’re facing. Find out what they’re already using and where those solutions fall short. Use interviews, surveys, focus groups—whatever gives you real answers. This isn’t optional. It’s the groundwork.
“Then build a basic version of your product—a minimum viable product (MVP). Just enough to solve the main problem. Share it with a small group and see what happens.
“Take their feedback seriously. Make changes. Move fast. If it turns out the product actually solves something important, then you can scale and spend on marketing.
“Key point: Don’t guess. Don’t assume. Test first, then invest. That’s how we help brands grow—one clear step at a time.”
Kunal Joshi, Founder of Bang on Brows
“Launching a new product line without overspending requires strategy and restraint. For Bang on Brows, testing products like our Brow Soap and Brow Oil, started with sourcing a supplier that offered a low minimum order quantity (MOQ). This allowed us to test the waters without committing to large inventory costs, reducing financial risk while gauging initial customer interest.
“Once the product is introduced, we find observing customer response is crucial. Pay attention to sales trends, feedback, and engagement, which can provide valuable insights into whether the product resonates with the market.
“As demand builds, we can then gradually expand the product range, colours, and styles based on customer preferences.
“We also consider how we can differentiate our products, for example our Italian-made Growth Serum includes both brow and lash applicators and comes in a generous size, offering greater value and versatility.
“This approach minimises upfront costs while maximising learning, ensuring a product line grows organically based on real-world feedback rather than assumptions. Small-scale testing, data-driven decisions, and controlled expansion make it possible to establish a successful product – even on a tight budget.”
Discover Let’s Talk Business Topics
Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
