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> For this experience, we spent less than $1,000. Compared to an entrepreneurship class at any college, that's quite cheap!

My undergrad was in USC's entrepreneurship program. One of the points they always hyped on was whether or not you were "selling vitamins or vicodin", so to speak. As you learned through Snaposit, most people when making chit-chat will be supportive of your venture, but you won't know how they really feel until they vote with their wallets.

Most of the professors were older guys who didn't get online startup culture, but one of their favorite tricks was to put up a landing page detailing a concept they were interested in, with a buy button. They'd spend some AdWords to get people to the landing page and measure the conversion rate. If enough people tried to buy to justify the service, they'd go out and build it.



FWIW, that's the original Lean Startup model.

In fact, that's how the Four Hour Work Week or one of those books was written -- ads first, and when the ads converted, the book was then written.




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