Have an idea? Here's what we did to validate our ideas while minimizing risks. We've put it into a framework of spending less than your monthly NYC rent using free, inexpensive, or results driven tools. Remember, any dollar spent, should go toward building or selling product. Any other expense is a luxury!

1. Starting a Web Business for Less than
Your Monthly NYC Rent*
*In NYC $3836/mo.

2. Yes, the rent is high!

3. Spend Wisely
Spend for building or selling. Everything else is extraneous.
Remaining: $3,836

4. Part 1 - Building
Minimum Viable Product - Build as little as possible to prove demand

5. • Domain from GoDaddy with Wordpress
• Launchrock to get started now
• MailChimp to collect emails
• Total
$3.99
FREE
FREE
$3.99
Infrastructure
Remaining: $3,832.01

6. • Convergine’s Word Press Plugin
• PayPal Pro
• WordPress Plugin Allowance
• 99 Designs (Logo and Website Starter)
• Total:
$35
$30
$100
$499
$664
Site & Payment
Remaining: $3,168.01

7. Part 2 - selling
Traffic Generation – Prove demand by bringing prospects in

8. Sponsored Content – Cooperatize
Facebook ($20 a day)
Google ($50 a day)
Discounts (-$50 coupon per platform)
Favorite Platform
Unlimited 30 day Metrocard
Vistaprint for Business Cards
Total
$1050
$600
$1500
-$150
$40
$112
$10.34
$3162.34
Driving Traffic
Remaining: $5.68

9. Part 3 – Measuring Success
Results – Should you quit your day job?

10. What does success look like?
Remaining: $5.68
Did people buy my product at a price that lets me cover my
variable per unit cost?
If so, What is my gross margin? (Gross Margin = Revenue – Cost
of Goods Sold)
If my gross margin is greater than zero, Well then you might
have a business.
If not, you still have $5.68.

11. Thoughts?
Remaining: $5.68
roger@cooperatize.com
@rogerwu99
@cooperatize