How we validate idea and making $1000 MRR in 4 month 🙌

This is a solid example of real validation done right 👌
Starting from workflows and repeated pain — not features — is exactly why it worked. Manual effort → pattern recognition → simple product is such an underrated path. Great reminder that talking to users beats coding fast, every time.

This approach is honestly underrated, especially the manual pain phase before code.

As a freelancer who’s done Reddit-led validation for clients, what you did lines up perfectly with what actually works:
observe behavior first, not feature requests.

The questions you asked are the same ones I use when validating ideas through Reddit comments and DMs not pitching, just listening for repetition. When the same frustration shows up across different subreddits or conversations, that’s usually a stronger signal than any landing page test.

Also like that you didn’t overbuild. A lot of tools fail because they try to solve the idea instead of the habit. Text expanders are boring on the surface, but the workflow angle is what makes this stick.

Curious at what point did you realize this wasn’t just a productivity annoyance but something people would actually pay for?

Congrats on the $1K MRR! That's great traction.
One thing I'm curious about: you mention "4 months" — was that 4 months from idea validation to $1K MRR? Or 4 months from first line of code?
Asking because the text expander space is pretty crowded (TextExpander, Raycast, Alfred, etc). What made yours stand out enough to get paying customers that fast?

This is a really smart and practical framework. I like how it shifts hiring from “who sounds impressive” to “where could this fail,” which is where real risk lives. The specificity and context tests are especially useful, and the Airtable automation makes it easy to scale. This is the kind of system that saves founders time, money, and bad hires.

This is a great example of validating from real behavior, not assumptions. One channel that aligns perfectly with this approach is Reddit, freelancers and agency owners openly discuss these exact workflow frustrations in high-intent threads that rank on Google for years. When a tool like Slashit is introduced inside those conversations (as a solution, not a pitch), it can drive consistent, compounding MRR without ads.'

Great work on validating ideas. I'm on the same boat now, trying to validate the idea for my app

Congrats on the milestone. Did your validation focus more on behaviour (what users actually did) or stated feedback? I’ve found those two often tell very different stories early on.

The manual work first approach is smart. most people skip validation and jump straight to building.
How long did you do manual work before deciding to build? and what made you confident people would actually pay for it?
btw $1000 MRR in 4 months is solid for a productivity tool.

good work!

The question framing is the part most people skip. "What do you type again and again" gets you way more signal than "would you use a text expander" - because you're asking about behavior, not hypotheticals.

Curious about one thing: when you got those patterns back (rewriting messages, switching tools, losing clipboard), how did you decide which to build first? Did one come up more often, or was there something that felt like the entry point to everything else?

Validation first (ads, DMs, interviews) before coding.

Honestly, perfect web design, really beautiful. I think the function is useful, just like practice a personal writing assistant?

Market research, MVP launches, real-time feedback, and continuous optimization help turn concepts into profitable products that achieve $1,000 MRR in four months or less.

I feel like the understated is the highlight here.

"Then I spoke with freelancers and small agencies." == TALKING TO CUSTOMERS

Love this approach....starting with real workflows instead of pitching features. Observing habits first, then building a tool to remove friction, is such a smart way to validate before code. Shows that solving actual pain beats chasing ideas.

the validation wasn’t about speed or volume, but about keeping the sequence tight. Once the order of steps is clear, even small signals start to compound.

that's really insipiring!

Workflow first, idea second is such an underrated approach.

TL;DR: Before jumping into product development, validation is important.

That's cool! Slashit App illustrates this approach perfectly.