So you have a business idea? Great! Does anyone else like it? Are you sure? How do you know? Have you asked them?

Too often, entrepreneurs are coming up with new ideas and spending lots of time working on it - but they haven't done the one thing that is really important: see if someone else wants it. And no, your friends don't count, because of course they're going to tell you it's a good idea. They are your friends after all - and rightly so they want to encourage you.

What do I suggest? Speak to you target customers, or the existing ones (no matter how small that number is). If you're building a product and not sure which features to focus on - ask them what they want. If you've got a bunch of customers already, but aren't able to grow that number - ask the current ones what they like. Chances are, you're going to learn a lot more in a 45-minute session with your ACTUAL target persona than your friend who loves you but is likely sending you on a wild goose chase.

Lets assume you have an app - here are some sample questions to get your started:

What drew you to the app? Why?
What do you like most about the app? Why?
What do you like least? Why?
What else would you like to see? Why?
Have you told any of your friends about it? Why / Why not?
How would you describe the app to a stranger?

By doing this, you're making data-driven decisions... and that is always a good idea.