I've worked on side projects in the past, and the number one thing I learned is to make sure people want the product you're working on BEFORE building the product.
Without any code written, I set up coffee meetings with all the smart people that I know. I got their feedback, listened to their ideas, and shaped my product vision around what I heard. I created a spreadsheet to track my meetings and feedback.
In total, I talked with 17 people! 🤓