The biggest mistake startups make: they build for 6 months, spend €50,000, launch and… nobody wants it. Don’t do that. Start from the end. Sell before you build. For that, you need an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) landing page.

What is a “smoke test”?

A smoke test creates the illusion of a finished product. You build a professional landing page that describes the service, shows pricing and includes a “Join” or “Buy” button.

When someone clicks, they don’t go to checkout. Instead they see: “Thanks for your interest! We’re still building this product. Leave your email and you’ll be first to know (with a -50% discount).”

If nobody clicks, the problem isn’t the product — it’s the idea or the marketing. You just saved 6 months of development.

Anatomy of an MVP page

A test site can’t look “cheap.” For trust, it must be top‑tier design. It should include:

Hero section: One sentence that explains the problem and solution (e.g. “Uber — your private driver in one tap”).
Visuals: A render of the app or product (even if it doesn’t exist yet). People need to see what they’re buying.
CTA (Call to Action): Only one primary action. “Join the waitlist.”