Test campaign: One Segment, One Product, Three Weeks

Observations

Test campaign: One Segment, One Product, Three Weeks

You’ve identified a new and highly promising market niche. Your hypothesis is rock-solid. What’s next? The traditional approach is to launch a full-scale marketing campaign lasting six to nine months with the appropriate budget. But what if the hypothesis turns out to be wrong? That would mean months of work and millions of rubles wasted.

Fortunately, there is another, faster, and much cheaper way to get a signal from the market. We call it a validation sprint. The goal is not to conquer the market in three weeks, but rather to collect enough data to make one crucial strategic decision: Go/no-go. Should we invest in this direction at all?

This article is a step-by-step guide to running a three-week validation sprint. We will break down the entire process, from preparation and launch to analysis and the final decision. It’s a framework that transforms hypothesis validation into

Week 0: Preparation

A three-week sprint does not begin on the first Monday of Week 1. It starts with “Week Zero,” the preparation stage. The more thoroughly you prepare, the higher your chances of success. Skipping this stage almost always guarantees failure.

First, define a measurable sprint goal. It should be extremely specific. Not “check interest,” but something like: “Within three weeks, achieve five confirmed demo meetings with companies from our target list, with an average cost per meeting (CPM) not exceeding 500 USD.” This is your success criterion, agreed upon in advance.

Second, assemble a hyper-targeted list of companies. With the sales team, compile a list of 50–100 companies that perfectly match your new segment. It’s important to find not just company names but also the names and contact information of two to three key decision-makers in each company.

Once you have a clear goal, a list of contacts, and a minimal set of “ammunition,” you’re ready to launch. This preparation takes a few days, but it turns your sprint from chaotic improvisation into a controlled experiment.

Week 1: Launch

The goal is not to close deals, but rather to establish initial contact and schedule 3–5 meetings for next week. Work will happen on two parallel tracks.

The marketing team’s task is “air support.” The marketer will launch a low-budget, hyper-targeted advertising campaign (e.g., on LinkedIn) aimed at your “List of 100.” The goal of this campaign is not to generate clicks, but rather to simply “appear” in front of the right people. By the time your salesperson reaches out, your company name will sound familiar. This lowers the barrier.

The sales/BDR task is “first reconnaissance.” A salesperson or BDR will start personalized outreach using the prepared email sequence and minimal viable content. This is not a mass mailing, but rather thoughtful, individualized work aimed at scheduling the first meetings.

Week 2: Dialogue

The goal of week two is to conduct the scheduled meetings and collect as much qualitative and quantitative information as possible.

The sales task is to listen, not sell. The salesperson will conduct three to five meetings. At this stage, their main task is not to “sell,” but to validate the hypothesis. Does our value proposition resonate? Did we correctly identify the client’s “pain”? What objections arise that we didn’t foresee? All feedback is carefully documented.

The marketing task is to be “in the field” and analyze. With client permission, the marketer should attend these calls as an observer. This is a priceless opportunity to hear the client’s actual language. At the same time, analyze the early advertising data: CTR, impression cost, and profiles of those who showed interest.

Week 3: Analysis

This is the week of truth. Your goal is to compile all the collected data and make a rational decision by comparing the results with the targets set during Week Zero.

The entire “sprint team” will sit together and answer key questions. Did we achieve our meeting targets and costs? How positive was the feedback? Based on the outcomes, there are three potential decisions:

Go (scale): Unit economics make sense and the response is positive. The hypothesis is validated. Allocate the full budget.
Iterate (adjust): There is interest, but the messaging or offer doesn’t “hit the mark.” Update the landing page or case study and run another sprint.
No-go (stop): There is no demand, and the meeting cost is too high. Close the hypothesis, saving months and millions, and move on to the next idea.

From “Big Bets” to “Smart Experiments.”

As you can see, validating a new niche does not have to be a risky, six-month gamble. Rather, it’s a short, controlled, scientific process built on a series of quick experiments. You’re not hoping for luck; you’re systematically searching for truth.

This approach enables you to manage an entire portfolio of growth hypotheses effectively. You can quickly filter out failures and double down on winners based on real market data, not internal opinions.

This framework is a practical guide for reducing risk when entering new markets. Add it to your corporate knowledge base and use it when planning your next growth initiative.