Run a pilot that proves demand and margin

Who this is for

Founder led lower-middle market companies with 5 to 50 million in annual revenue that need evidence before broader launch.

The quick answer

Define one use case, one buyer, and a success line for usage, price, and cost to serve. Keep the pilot paid and time bound. Capture feedback and cost data each week. Include a clear next order in the pilot terms. Review against the success line and decide to scale, improve, or stop.

The method in nine steps

Choose the use case and buyer
Pick the situation with the highest urgency and the buyer who owns the budget.
Write the success line
Quantify usage targets, acceptable cost to serve, target price, and the date by which they must be met.
Draft the pilot agreement
Scope, timelines, responsibilities, success line, and the next order that activates if success is met.
Select a small cohort
Three to five customers who fit your ICP and will engage weekly.
Instrument the pilot
Set up simple tracking for usage, incidents, time spent, parts consumed, and customer feedback.
Run weekly reviews
Meet with customers to collect feedback. Internally review cost to serve and any fixes.
Control change requests
Log all changes. Accept only those that apply to many customers or that protect safety or compliance.
End on time
Do not extend the pilot without a clear reason tied to the success line.
Decide with the data
Compare results to the success line. Sign the next order, improve and retest, or stop and refund any unused portion.

Example

A firm piloted a premium response plan with five plants. Usage and uptime met targets and the cost to serve stayed below the threshold. Four plants converted to annual contracts and the fifth revealed a boundary condition that informed the next version.

Pitfalls and fixes

Free pilots. Charge so engagement is real and value is proven.
Vague goals. Write the success line before you start.
Endless pilots. End on time and decide.

Checklist

Use case and buyer selected
Success line written
Pilot agreement with next order
Cohort recruited
Tracking and weekly reviews
Decision meeting booked