Ask HN: How to validate an idea? What to include in the email?

[adrian_pop]

I have an idea about a very simple (de-bloated, nothing to install) booking reservation system for small hotels and guest houses

There are people who manage these businesses with crappy sites and I want to offer them a cloud solution with almost zero modifications to their website (just a js tag or a subdomain).

The price? just a few bucks per month.

But, how to aproach them? At first I thought I should send them a personalized/friendly email, 1-to-1. But: should I include a quick demo, flow, screenshots...what?

Thank you.

[josuegio]

Is really hard to sell something to the hotels, in our own experience: https://medium.com/startup-lesson-learned/our-real-love-are-...

But if is something not so hard to manage, i think that you could find some Wordpress Themes for Hotels and to talk with the developers of each one and works with them in the integration using WP.

Another strategy is connecting directly in Linkedin with: Ecommercer or Revenue Managers.

Best!

[sharemywin]

I wouldn't complicate the the first contact probably need to lead with your strongest benefit. "Are you interested adding 30% more bookings form the internet? something like that. Also, I would call a couple first. only way you'll actually understand what they are looking for. just keep calling different places until you find some one that's interest in talking with you. you could say your doing research for a project at college for that matter.