A Fake Door validates demand for a feature before it's built. You create the entry point — a button, menu item, or landing page — for a feature that doesn't yet exist. You measure how many users engage. Then you tell them it's coming soon.
Before investing in a significant feature build, when you have a hypothesis that users want something but haven't validated genuine demand.
- Identify the feature you want to test demand for
- Create the minimum entry point: a button, menu item, or landing page
- When users engage, show a 'Coming soon' message or collect emails
- Track the engagement rate as a proxy for demand
- Compare against a pre-set threshold — decide what 'enough' means first
- Follow up with anyone who engaged to understand their motivation
Add a 'Download for Offline' button to the free-tier experience — not available without Premium. When free users tap it: 'Offline listening is a Premium feature. Want to try Premium free for 3 months?' Track: what % of free users tap the button? This tests demand for offline as a conversion driver — without building a new paywall flow.
Please contact the author for more information on these examples at linkedin.com/in/kshitijrege
- Being deceptive — always tell users the feature isn't available yet; never let them think it's broken
- Not setting the demand threshold before seeing results
- Assuming click rate equals willingness to pay — always follow up with qualitative interviews
- The Lean Startup — Eric Ries