It’s the billion-dollar question: How do you know if something is a good idea?

Two new products launched this week that empower makers to test and validate their ideas, helping to separate the good ones from the bad ones and ones that need improvement.

For makers and aspiring founders who need hands-on support to get to the starting line, there’s Day Zero.

Day Zero is an iteration from the founder of Day One, a fellowship for early-stage founders. You might see where this is going. Day Zero is a community for founders in their formative stages. The Day Zero community helps people to explore business ideas alongside serial founders and industry experts. New and aspiring founders can gain the tools and mentorship they need to ideate and validate their ideas “so your next big thing doesn't stay inside your head.”

Early Day Zero community members shared their experience:

“This product makes it feel *good* to scratch that entrepreneurial itch without spending a lot of $, quitting a job, or needing to announce it to the world” - Alifya Valiji

For makers who are already running or ready to start, the first step is often testing. Maker Avi Muchnick was used to creating burner pages to test his ideas but found that the tools and process for it were cumbersome.

“I would use Squarespace's website builders to spin up fake pages with surveys attached, and then would take out Google ads against those pages. Bottom line, this was a major process.”

Muchnick built Burner Page to allow makers to be up and running with tests in 60 seconds. He created the product first for himself and, after validating the idea with early testers, decided to focus on Burner Page. The Product Community has welcomed the new tool.

“I think this product is an amazing idea for young entrepreneurs. It helps get their feet wet...” Gidharee Saran

We know what it’s like to have a head full of swirling ideas or even just one gnawing at you. It can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Our best advice:

"I have learned when necessary you have to make the process fit your ideas instead of trying to fit your ideas to the process."

We connected with Rothy's Director of Product Design, Lavion Gibson, about what it was like to design Rothy's new men’s line of sustainable footwear. Read it here.