DocsHub Market Validation - Master Workflow

Market Validation Master Workflow

5-Day Sprint to Go/No-Go Decision

📅 OVERVIEW

Timeline: 5 days (20 hours total) Goal: Validate DocsHub market opportunity Decision: GO / NO-GO / PIVOT

Success Criteria:

✅ 60%+ express strong interest
✅ Median willingness to pay ≥ R2,500/month
✅ Clear competitive differentiation
✅ 3+ beta trial candidates

DAY 1: PREPARATION (4 hours)

Morning (2 hours)

TASK 1: Set Up Survey (45 min)

Create Microsoft Form using 01-SURVEY-QUESTIONS.md (forms.office.com)
Test survey (complete it yourself)
Generate shareable link
Shorten URL (bit.ly or Microsoft URL shortener)
Set up email notifications (Office 365)
Create response tracking in Excel Online (live sync)

TASK 2: Prepare Email Templates (45 min)

Customize email templates from 02-EMAIL-TEMPLATES.md
Add your signature to all templates
Save as drafts in email client
Test send to yourself

TASK 3: Set Up Contact Tracking (30 min)

Create contact tracking spreadsheet
Set up columns (name, org, segment, email, status, notes)
Prepare interview scheduling calendar

Afternoon (2 hours)

TASK 4: Begin Contact Sourcing (2 hours)

LinkedIn searches for each segment
Identify 30 potential contacts
Find email addresses (LinkedIn, company websites, Hunter.io)
Qualify contacts (right role, active, reachable)
Add to tracking spreadsheet

END OF DAY 1 DELIVERABLES:

✅ Survey live and tested
✅ Email templates ready
✅ 30 potential contacts identified

DAY 2: CONTACT BUILDING (4 hours)

Morning (2 hours)

TASK 5: Complete Contact List (2 hours)

Finish LinkedIn sourcing
Tap warm network (ask colleagues for intros)
Join relevant LinkedIn groups
Research each organization (personalization notes)
Verify email addresses
Prioritize top 20 contacts

Target: 15-20 high-quality contacts ready to reach out

Afternoon (2 hours)

TASK 6: Prepare Personalized Outreach (2 hours)

Customize email for each contact (not generic!)
Reference their org specifically
Send LinkedIn connection requests (10 contacts)
Schedule emails for Day 3 morning (9-10 AM)
Set reminders for follow-ups

END OF DAY 2 DELIVERABLES:

✅ 15-20 qualified contacts
✅ Personalized emails drafted
✅ LinkedIn connections sent
✅ Ready to launch outreach Day 3

DAY 3: OUTREACH WAVE 1 (4 hours)

Morning (2 hours)

TASK 7: Send Initial Emails (30 min)

Send 15 personalized emails (9-10 AM)
Track sent emails in spreadsheet
Set follow-up reminders (Day 5)
Monitor for bounces/out-of-office

TASK 8: Interview Prep (90 min)

Review interview guide (04-INTERVIEW-GUIDE.md)
Set up recording tool (Zoom, Otter.ai)
Create note-taking template
Practice interview questions
Prepare interview scheduling availability

Afternoon (2 hours)

TASK 9: Monitor & Respond (2 hours)

Check for email responses
Respond immediately to interested parties
Schedule interviews (aim for Day 4-5)
Send survey link to those who respond
Track response rate
Engage on LinkedIn (comment on posts from contacts)

Expected: 3-6 responses by end of Day 3

END OF DAY 3 DELIVERABLES:

✅ 15 emails sent
✅ 3-6 responses received
✅ 1-2 interviews scheduled
✅ 2-4 survey completions

DAY 4: OUTREACH WAVE 2 & INTERVIEWS (4 hours)

Morning (2 hours)

TASK 10: Send Follow-Up Emails (30 min)

Send follow-up to non-responders (Day 3 emails)
Check LinkedIn for connection acceptances
Send LinkedIn DMs to connections who didn’t respond to email
Post in LinkedIn groups (if relevant)

TASK 11: Conduct Interviews (90 min)

Interview #1 (30 min + 15 min notes)
Interview #2 (30 min + 15 min notes)
Record key insights immediately

Afternoon (2 hours)

TASK 12: More Interviews & Analysis (2 hours)

Interview #3 (if scheduled)
Review survey responses so far
Identify patterns in feedback
Prepare questions for remaining interviews
Follow up with survey completers (invite to interview)

Expected: 5-10 survey completions, 2-3 interviews completed

END OF DAY 4 DELIVERABLES:

✅ Follow-ups sent
✅ 2-3 interviews completed
✅ 5-10 survey responses
✅ Early patterns identified

DAY 5: ANALYSIS & DECISION (4 hours)

Morning (2 hours)

TASK 13: Final Data Collection (1 hour)

Send final follow-up emails
Conduct any remaining interviews
Close survey (or set deadline)
Download all survey responses
Compile interview notes

TASK 14: Data Analysis (1 hour)

Analyze survey responses (use framework in 01-SURVEY-QUESTIONS.md)
Calculate key metrics:
- Interest level (% “Yes, definitely” + “Maybe”)
- Median willingness to pay
- Most common pain points
- Must-have features (>70% selection)
Review interview notes for themes
Tag quotes by theme (pricing, features, objections)

Afternoon (2 hours)

TASK 15: Decision Framework (2 hours)

Create summary presentation
Document findings:
- Quantitative (survey metrics)
- Qualitative (interview themes, quotes)
- Competitive positioning
- Feature priorities
- Pricing recommendations
Apply decision criteria (see below)
Make GO / NO-GO / PIVOT recommendation
Prepare action plan for chosen path

END OF DAY 5 DELIVERABLES:

✅ Complete data analysis
✅ Summary presentation
✅ GO/NO-GO decision with evidence
✅ Next steps defined

🎯 DECISION CRITERIA

✅ GO (Proceed to Beta Development)

Criteria met:

60%+ express strong interest (“Yes, definitely” or “Maybe - tell me more”)
Median willingness to pay ≥ R2,500/month
Clear pain points identified (not manufacturing need)
3+ qualified beta trial candidates
Competitive differentiation validated (SA hosting, POPIA matter)

Next steps if GO:

Week 2: Build beta version (simplified DocsHub)
Week 3-4: Onboard 3 beta customers
Week 5: Gather feedback and iterate
Week 6: Decide on public launch

❌ NO-GO (Do Not Pursue DocsHub)

Criteria:

<40% express interest
Median willingness to pay <R1,000/month
Pain points not urgent (nice-to-have, not must-have)
<2 beta trial candidates
Competitive alternatives already sufficient

Next steps if NO-GO:

Focus 100% on ThriveSend B2B2G and AssessFlow
Document learnings (why it didn’t work)
Maintain relationships (potential future customers)
Consider pivoting to different documentation need

🔄 PIVOT (Adjust and Re-Validate)

Criteria:

40-60% interest (medium validation)
Pricing resistance (want product but not at proposed price)
Feature gaps identified (missing critical features)
Wrong target segment (interest from unexpected segment)

Potential pivots:

Pricing: Lower to R1,500/month, add usage limits
Segment: Focus on one segment (e.g., NGOs only)
Features: Add must-have feature that’s missing
Positioning: Reframe value proposition

Next steps if PIVOT:

Week 2: Refine offering based on feedback
Week 3: Re-validate with adjusted pitch
Week 4: GO/NO-GO decision v2

📊 SUCCESS METRICS DASHBOARD

Track these metrics daily:

Metric	Target	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Emails sent	15
Response rate	40%
Surveys completed	10
Interviews completed	3-5
Beta interest	3+
Median WTP	R2,500+

🚨 RISK MITIGATION

Risk: Low Response Rate

If <20% response by Day 4:

Revise subject lines
Leverage warm introductions
Offer incentive (R500 voucher for completed survey)
Extend timeline by 2 days

Risk: Price Resistance

If median WTP <R1,000:

Understand why (too expensive vs. too cheap)
Test lower tier (R1,500 with limits)
Re-frame value proposition (emphasize ROI)

Risk: Wrong Segment

If unexpected segment shows more interest:

Document this finding
Consider pivot to that segment
Research that segment specifically

✅ FINAL CHECKLIST

Before starting Day 1:

Calendar blocked (4 hours/day for 5 days)
Survey tool access (Google Forms)
LinkedIn Premium (optional but helpful)
Email templates reviewed
Tracking spreadsheet created

After completing Day 5:

Decision made (GO/NO-GO/PIVOT)
Findings documented
Thank you emails sent to all participants
Results shared with participants (promised)
Team briefed on decision
Next steps planned

DocsHub Market Validation Workflow iSu Technologies (Pty) Ltd Last Updated: 09/11/2025