Market-Readiness Checklist

• Are people already paying for a worse version of this
• Which SaaS, service, or workaround are they using
• What's the churn rate of that alternative
• Are competitors raising prices or expanding

Existing spend is the single strongest signal a market is ready — because someone has already done the hard work of educating the buyer that this category deserves money.

• Is there a regulation, deadline, or external trigger forcing the buy now versus next year
• Are buyers describing the pain in emotional language, not intellectual
• Are they calling you — or are you calling them

When urgency is real, sales cycles shrink and discounts stop mattering. When it isn't, no amount of marketing will manufacture it.

• Are strangers sharing your landing page without prompting
• Are waiting-list signups growing weekly
• Are prospects asking when, not if
• Have at least three people offered to pay before the product was ready

Real demand reveals itself through behaviour you didn't orchestrate. If every green light on the board came from you pushing a button, the market isn't ready — you are.