> 1. Distill your entire product down to 1–2 features. Your first version should be a feature instead of a product. Figure out what 1 feature summarizes the entire product.<p>This is a good way to scope down your first launch, but I think there's more that needs to happen before this step #1.<p>Every startup must establish its own value. What value can your new product provide? Sure, a set of features may attract people to try out your product, but value is what causes people to pay.<p>Moreover, 1-2 features might not achieve any value for users, leading to an incomplete launch and a botched experiment for your hypothesis.<p>If you don't know your value, that's ok. Overall, I agree with the article that "it's a game of trial and error".<p>Use your resources (whether its just scraps or $$$) to run experiments, talk to users, and discover your startup's actual value. That's my idea of "validating your startup idea".