A great sign of a market is when customers are willing to pay a premium for your product, indicating product-market fit and genuine demand.

Traction for a pre-sales startup is defined by any usage of the product, whether it's free or paid. If no one is using your product, you have no traction.

You know you've found product-market fit when customers are actively pulling the product out of you, often indicated by high demand and feedback.

If customers express a willingness to pay for your solution, consider asking them for a commitment, like writing a check in advance, to validate your idea.

Asking if anyone loves your product can help clarify whether you're on the right track; being your first user can be a strong indicator of product viability.

It's important to release your pricing early to confront the market and gather feedback from paying customers, rather than being overwhelmed by opinions from those who won't pay.

I encourage founders to practice charging for their product early on. By simulating a transaction, they can become comfortable with the process of asking for payment, which prepares them for real customer interactions later.

If you find excited customers during your validation process, that's a strong signal that it's time to start your startup.

To gauge if people are willing to pay for a product before it's fully developed, I asked potential users what they would give for access, which led to creative responses.