You can validate ideas or build products without coding; for example, I started Product Hunt as an email list, which was a quick way to gauge interest.

To validate a product idea, consider building a minimal version or a related feature rather than a full product, allowing for quicker feedback. Sales is a powerful way to validate interest in a product; getting someone to commit to paying upfront is one of the most validating actions you can take.

The early version of a product doesn't need extensive technical infrastructure; it can be built quickly using manual processes to validate market demand.

You don't need a bank account or incorporation to start testing your idea; just get something out there and try it with a few customers to validate your concept.

The first version of Stripe was built with basic tools and was enough to understand the product experience, allowing users to charge credit cards easily.

Launching continuously, even before having a fully functioning product, allows you to practice, refine your idea, and test your messaging with real users.

Rapid prototyping and user testing are essential; focus on getting a functional prototype out quickly, using tools to create clickable mock-ups or writing throwaway code to test ideas with users, as building a fully functional product before testing can be an expensive mistake.

For beginners, tools like Replit or Lovable offer a user-friendly interface to experiment with coding directly, bypassing traditional mock-up designs.

If you want to test your product before launching, think of it like a house with broken pipes; instead of checking every pipe, just turn on the water to see what needs fixing.