How to get to €10k MRR—before launch

Alright, let’s talk about getting your business from zero to €10k MRR—before launch. You read that correctly.

It all starts with customer interviews—no surprises here. And no shortcuts either: Our EIRs perform anywhere between 100-150 interviews over the course of their 20-week residency.

But not all customer interviews are created equal. The magic happens when you move from Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) interviews to Design Partner (DP) sessions, and then to Early Customer conversations. It’s like a roadmap to making something people actually want to buy.

If you want to sell €120k worth of software you need to make something that solves a problem. Who have problems? People. So we go straight to the source.

Let me explain.

Step 1: ICP Interviews

First up, you gotta nail your ICP definition. These are the companies that will end up buying your product. Think of them as your VIPs. Sit down and chat with different stakeholders in the ICP and dig into their pain points. Don’t pitch anything; just listen. Your job is to figure out if they have a big enough problem, and if they would throw money at it to make it disappear. It’s like dating—you’re just getting to know them without overcommitting. What does overcommitment look like? Well, let’s just say that any time you start talking about that amazing solution of yours, you are the pushy date without a sense of boundaries.

Step 2: Design Partner Engagement

After dating for a bit, you pop the big question: Would you like to become a Design Partner? In some cases they might even ask you to join the party. This is your first piece of validation. If they are willing to work on solving the problem with you, probably they recognise its importance.

DPs are early adopters and industry experts that are like your co-founders in a way (except you don’t have to give them equity). They’re invested in the problem and are pumped to help you craft the solution. You work together to nail the value prop, tweak features, and get real about packaging and pricing. It’s like having a mini focus group that’s all in on making your product better.

DPs are not just testers; they’re sparring partners. You’re building this thing together, and their insights are the key ingredient.

Step 3: Early Customer Conversion

Finally, it’s time to put a ring on it. You have found out that you like each other. You’ve been building something beautiful together. Your v1 is in development. Time to make this official.

There is no usable product to speak of at this point, but you are going to ask them to commit anyway. Scary? Definitely. So you better have your pitch prepared. You’re about to ask them to commit anywhere between 1k-2.5k / month from launch, based on some mock-ups and an early prototype. At the same time, you’ve established that this is the solution they want and need—unless they’ve been playing you.

And sure, not all of them become your paying customers. But guess what? A few do. And those few have taught you all you need to know to find a few more. And since you’ve nailed pricing and packaging, those fews together will start to look a lot like €10k MRR.

In short, to build something viable, you gotta go through the right people at the right stage of your venture. Find out what their problems are, co-create the solution, and pull the trigger on monetisation. It’s not always glamorous, but it works wonders. Instead of just guessing what people want—you’re finding out and validating as you go.

That’s it. That’s the playbook. Now go out there and make something awesome!

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That’s all for now. There are nuances within each of these steps that are beyond the scope of this article. If you are interested and hungry for more, consider a residency at Builders, or simply follow us on LinkedIn.