Concept Testing Checklist: How to Pressure-Test Your Big Idea (Before You Build the Wrong Thing)
Launching something new? It’s exciting, I get it. It’s new and shiny and ideas are flowing. There’s major momentum.
But this is exactly where so many companies get tripped up. It’s because they’re so excited about launching that they forget to pause, take a deep breath, and ask themselves:
Have we actually validated this idea with the people I want to buy it?
Concept testing is your insurance policy. It protects your team, your budget, and your sanity from going all-in on something that sounds good in the boardroom but flops in the wild.
At Bixa, this is what we do. We help brands test early so they can build smarter. Below is our Concept Testing Checklist—simple, strategic steps built from years of helping clients pressure-test the ideas they’re betting on.
And remember: if you’re ever feeling unsure, just contact us:
👉 Talk with a researcher and we’ll help you come up with a custom strategy for your concept testing (whether you wind up working with us or not)
Concept Testing Checklist
1. Identify your biggest unknowns
To figure out what research you actually need, start by asking yourself (and your team) a few key questions:
What assumptions are we making about our concept? Are you guessing at what users want, how they behave, or what they’ll pay? List those assumptions out—these assumptions will form the basis for many your research objectives. No guessing games later.
Is your target audience segmented based on real data? Have you done research to define exactly who you're targeting—not just who you think you're targeting? Specifically, have you….
Conducted a survey with non-leading questions about users’ behavior, demographics, and psychographics (think: attitudes, lifestyles, values)?
Used cluster analysis to create statistically valid audience segments?
Built personas grounded in real numbers and usage patterns—not just cute avatars and job titles?
Shared this with sales, so they know which messages resonate (and which fall flat)?
And if you’ve got both B2B and B2C plays—determined who’s the priority?How much is your audience willing to pay? This can be measured quantitatively so you’re not guessing. It’s very normal that different audiences are willing to pay different amounts, so which audience is not just the biggest, but will make you the most revenue?
What makes you think your audience wants this? Was it a suggestion from just one user? Or a specific type of user (like a power user)? Did your team brainstorm this in a meeting? Are you assuming your product solves the problem they’re actually struggling with? Gut feelings and anecdotal feedback aren’t the same as market demand. That’s what research is for.
Does your target customer truly value the features you're betting on? Not every feature is created equal. Some sound impressive but don't drive usage. Others are invisible but make all the difference. Knowing which is which (for different audiences) helps you avoid gold-plating something no one needs.
At Bixa, our discovery phase always starts with a workshop to walk teams through these questions. The goal? Clarify what you really need to know, reduce risk, and focus your research investment where it matters most.
2. Choose the right research mix
Getting the right numbers starts with knowing what methodology to use (or what mix of methods to use). Here are some things to consider:
Qualitative: Starting with in-depth interviews or focus groups to hear reactions in your customers’ own words, or video diary studies to watch how people actually move through the problem your product aims to solve, will help you develop hypotheses about what customers want and where your solution fits in (or doesn't). That way you’ll know what to ask about in quant.
Quantitative: Surveys help you test to see if the hypotheses you’ve identified in qual actually scale across a broader population. Often we use MaxDiff to rank what features matter most, or Conjoint to find out what tradeoffs different audiences are willing to make, and to create a market simulator that shows how much more they’re willing to pay for a product with one feature vs. another in a purchase scenario. Van Westenrop may help you understand price perceptions of a new type of product. There are many options (these are just a few) and an experienced research team can help you set up a strategy that will work best for your goals.
3. Test against alternatives
Don’t just ask "Do you like this?" That's too vague and not decision-driven. Better questions explore:
How well does this solve your problem, compared to what you use now?
What feels different about this, compared to similar products you know?
Which aspects feel most useful or unique?
Want to understand how your brand or concept is perceived over time? A brand tracker or perception study can benchmark awareness, favorability, and differentiation—and track shifts as you go to market.
4. Observe actual behavior
Whenever possible, get beyond what people say. Look at what they do.
Moderated usability tests allow you to ask follow-ups in real time as users interact with your prototype or idea.
Unmoderated usability tests are great for scaling insights quickly and catching usability issues in natural settings.
Video diary studies reveal how people actually move through their day—what they do, skip, hack, or avoid.
The goal isn’t to validate what you hope is true. It’s to uncover the truth—even if it surprises you.
5. Find your dealbreakers
Your concept might sound good… until a customer says, “I’d never buy this unless it did XYZ."
These moments are gold.
To find them, ask:
What might stop you from buying this?
What would make this a no-go?
What else would you need to see to feel confident?
These insights help you prioritize your roadmap, shape messaging, and address objections before launch.
Bonus tip: Don’t test just once
Test early. Then refine. Then test again.
Testing should accelerate your launch, not slow it down, because you’re clear that you’re launching the right product to the right audience.
