Finding customers and growing
Pilot
A pilot is a small, time-boxed trial with real customers, often paid, that tests whether they will use and value your product before you build or sell the full version.
Also called paid pilot, pilot program, trial project
Looking this up for a class, a job, or something you want to build? If it is the last one, nommi reads your idea before you spend months on it.
A pilot has a start date, an end date and a result both sides agreed on in advance. You can deliver much of it by hand. Because the customer gives time and often money, a pilot is far stronger evidence than a compliment or a sign up.
When this shows up
Example, not a real founder: you want to sell a reporting tool to small accounting firms. Instead of building it, you offer two firms a four-week pilot where you prepare their reports partly by hand. If they renew at the end, you have evidence. If they drift away, you learned that before building.
What to do next
Write a one-paragraph pilot offer: who it is for, what you will deliver, for how long, and what result would make it a success. Send it to three people who have the problem.
Go deeper
Is my startup idea good, or am I just excited?
A verdict of Build it, Sharpen it or Kill it, your riskiest assumption, and a test for it.
Read the guideOr go straight to the tool