TL;DR
Validough is a demand validation-focused micro-LMS for early-stage creators. Instead of months of professional production, publish a simple course, see real buying behavior, collect feedback. Scale only when demand is real.
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | Pay as you sell |
| Starting credits | +3 free |
| Integrations | Gumroad, Shopier, Tally, Calendly |
| Key feature | Video timestamp notes |
Do not scale before you sell. Validate demand first.
Where Did This Idea Come From?
When I sold courses on Gumroad, I noticed: Gumroad has a course feature, but it’s just a single page with content flowing downward. Not a professional LMS experience. Where did the student leave off, which lesson did they watch, what didn’t they understand? No data.
If I switched to Teachable or Thinkific, I’d pay $50-200 per month. Without consistent sales yet, that didn’t make sense.
Most courses fail not because of quality, but because demand was never real. Spending months on professional production only to face zero sales is the creator economy’s most common scenario.
Validough was designed to solve this problem.
Problem: Demand Blindness
The education market is growing, but most creators are not selling. The problem is not content. It is building without knowing who you are selling to and what they actually want.
The classic scenario:
- Spend weeks preparing content
- Buy professional equipment
- Pay platform fees
- Launch
- No sales
Completion rates are low because people do not finish what they never wanted. The problem is not content quality. It is demand blindness.
Validough Approach: Sell First, Scale Later
Validough is a simple micro-LMS. It lets creators see if real demand exists before spending months building courses.
| Traditional Approach | Validough Approach |
|---|---|
| Build first, sell later | Sell first, improve later |
| Professional equipment required | Basic content is enough |
| Fixed platform costs | Pay as you sell |
| Complex LMS features | Only what you need |
| Assumed demand | Real sales data |
Doorman Strategy
Validough does not handle payments. Instead, it uses a doorman strategy:
- Creator creates a product on Shopier/Gumroad
- Links that product to a course in Validough
- When a sale happens, webhook is triggered
- Validough sends course access link to the buyer
Why this approach?
- No payment complexity: Invoicing, refund processes stay on the sales platform
- Existing customer base: Creator’s Gumroad/Shopier customers are already there
- Low entry barrier: No need to integrate a new payment system
Supported Platforms
| Platform | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Gumroad | Digital product sales |
| Shopier | Turkey market |
| Tally | Free access / lead collection |
| Calendly | Consulting sales |
Pay As You Sell: Credit System
Validough manages the “pay as you sell” model with a credit system:
- +3 credits free to start
- -2 overdraft tolerance (breathing room for 5 sales total)
Golden Rule: Existing student access is never affected. Only new student activation requires credits. If you run out of credits, existing students keep their access.
Video Notes: Live Feedback
Validough’s distinctive feature: Students can leave notes at specific timestamps in videos.
- Student marks points they did not understand
- Creator sees exactly which minute has issues
- Feedback loop is automated
Benefit: See where your content has problems without sending surveys.
Target Audience
Validough is designed for three main personas:
| Persona | Need | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Solo Creator | Sell first course | Start with minimum setup |
| Consultant | Productize consulting | Calendly + Validough |
| First-Time Course Seller | Test without risk | Pay as you sell |
FAQ
What is Validough?
Validough is a micro-LMS designed for early-stage creators. It enables demand validation before professional production. It does not process payments. It integrates with existing sales platforms (Gumroad, Shopier).
What does doorman strategy mean?
Validough does not take payments. It listens to webhooks from sales platforms and automatically grants course access when a sale occurs. Payment complexity stays on the sales platform.
What happens when credits run out?
Existing students’ access is not affected. Only new student activation stops. New sales are queued until you get more credits.
Which platforms does it work with?
Gumroad, Shopier, Tally, and Calendly webhook integrations are available.
What are video notes for?
Students leave notes at specific video timestamps. Creators see which minute has confusing content. You get live feedback without sending surveys.
Lessons Learned
Keep the first version small. I initially planned too many features: certificate system, advanced analytics, course bundles. I built none of them. I just got the core flow working: sale, enrollment, course access.
Webhook reliability is critical. Webhooks can arrive multiple times. They can arrive late. They might not arrive at all. You need to think about every scenario.
Magic link UX is surprisingly good. No password for students. Click the link in email, you’re in. Simple. No password reset flows to deal with.
Never punish existing users. The most important rule when designing the credit system: Don’t cut existing access. Even if the creator runs out of credits, students should continue. This builds trust.
Key Takeaways
- Most courses fail due to missing demand. Not quality issues, demand blindness.
- Validough uses doorman strategy. No payment processing, works with existing platforms.
- Pay-as-you-sell model. +3 free credits, no fixed costs.
- Video timestamp notes. Automated feedback loop.
- Sell first, scale later. Professional production comes after demand is validated.
What did I build? Not an LMS. A demand validation system.
Who is it for? Creators who want to see market response before investing in professional production.
Why is it different? Because it is built on “sell first, improve later” instead of “build content first”.
Ready to validate your idea? Validough helps your first sale fund the next upgrade.