Lean Startups: Part 2 - The Magic Test

  2. Sell your magic. Fill your landing page with
     minimal, succinct, and powerful content such
     as: "Hate paying your bills? Then don't do it
     anymore! Sign up to be on our beta list." The
     key here is to identify the problem you're
     attempting to solve, making it clear that you'll
     solve it (not how, just that you will), and then
     giving them incentive to "sign up".

I'm getting really, really tired of pages that promise a service and then say "Sign up and we'll let you know when it's ready!"

I know it's a technique for trying to validate an idea before you spend time, money and effort implementing it, but my reaction now is "Screw you!"

I've signed up several times and never once has it come to anything. I've spent time filling in boxes, clicking through pages, being promised the solution to a problem, and nothing has come of it.

My reaction now is "Fuck off and come back when you've done something."

Just a data point for the next time you consider wasting the time of everyone who might otherwise consider being a customer, instead of using yours to actually build something.