How we built and tested a business in 3 days with no budget

Four steps to get an idea of the ground and test interest.

Ever notice how easy it is to help others move forward — and how impossible it can feel when it’s our own project?

I do this for a living. I help people bring their ideas to life. But when it's my thing? It suddenly feels heavier. Foggy. Emotional.

We overthink. We noodle. We make it complex.

But the truth is:

The barriers to building and testing have never been lower.

So why do we still feel stuck?

Fear. Especially when it’s personal.

When it’s ours, our reputation, our “what if this fails,” our name on the line everything slows down.

We want it to be good. Really good.

But what if we dropped the pressure and just made it small instead?

I’m in a phase where I’m rethinking and evaluating how to make some things at IMMA lighter. We don’t have an answer yet, but with Tricia and the community leaders, we kicked off a survey and reflections.

And then, over the last three days, I had an experience that reminded me how important it is to just move forward — simply and lightly.

Let me take you on that journey.

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What happens when you put together a carpenter and a business builder

Last weekend, I was sitting on the couch with my brother, and he shared a new business idea with me.

He’s a freelance carpenter. A true craftsman; he builds things with his hands, from scratch.

I’ve been designing and building businesses from scratch for the last seven years.

He had a hunch. He kept seeing construction companies struggling to find freelance help. And he knew from experience that there’s a growing number of solo craftspeople in Italy. The market is rigid, slow, and expensive to hire. But freelancers? They're out there.

He wanted to build a platform. An app. Something big.

I said: “Let’s start small.”

Here’s what we did, step by step:

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Step 1: Check if the problem is worth solving

Saturday afternoon, we sat down at the kitchen table and mapped out his idea.

We asked:

• Is this really a problem others feel?

• Are there enough people on both sides — solo craftsmen and companies?

• What’s the scale of this?

We searched market data, asked questions, poked holes.
We used AI to check if there was evidence behind the intuition.
What we found:

• Yes, companies are looking

• Yes, freelancers are rising

• No clear, easy solution exists. A few tools are out there, but they’re partial and clunky.

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Step 2: Find the easiest way to test

Forget the app. Forget the platform.

Let’s test demand. Let’s make it real enough to click.

We built:

• A one-page website that explained the idea (just a simple Notion page)

• A short Instagram story and WhatsApp status

• Personal messages my brother could send to companies and freelance craftspeople

• A WhatsApp community instead of a full platform

We framed it as a founding circle — the first 50 members get free early access and help shape the project.

He also asked his accountant to assess the implications. For now, we’re taking no payments — to keep it simple and avoid red tape.

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Step 3: Build with what you have

We didn’t spend hours designing logos or a website.

We didn’t hire anyone. We spent zero money.

It took about two hours a day over three days:

• Writing the copy

• Designing a landing page

• Creating visual assets (just in Canva)

• Setting up the WhatsApp group

• Creating a new Google account

And honestly?

It felt light, joyful, and fast.

We weren’t building the final version.

We were testing interest. And testing ourselves, to see if we could do it without getting stuck in perfection.

Here’s a short show & tell video to take you through what we did and built. It’s in German, but I’m sure you’ll get the sense.

Note: Yes, I’m cringing a bit at the output. But Reid Hoffman said: “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”

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Step 4. Now we see what happens

The test is live, and we’re learning. Fast.

Within two days, we received 11 applications and are learning from the feedback what needs to be improved or changed.

We’re getting insights on the idea itself. What could be challenges and how we might overcome them.

I can’t say if it will be successful.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it’s never a failure if you don’t stop trying.

Entrepreneurship is just solving one problem after another and staying in the game long enough to get to something that works. Whatever success means to you.

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Usually, I share businesses we’re building within IMMA — projects rooted in climate and social impact. This one is different. But I see it as part of the same story.

Because being able to work for yourself — and still be connected to others — is a form of climate resilience.

It's about adaptability, community and owning your craft. And that’s what we need more of.

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So if you’ve been circling your idea…

Try this:

• Write down what you’d do if you had only 3 days

• Start by exploring if this is an urgent, expensive problem worth solving

• Make a landing page, a story, a message, even a simple Google Doc

• Share it with your ideal customer and get early, quick feedback

Make it small, let it be light and see what happens.

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Interesting opportunities for you

We save our members countless hours by selecting opportunities for independents from over 150 job boards. Here’s a sneak peek:

🧑‍💻Baseline Study Consultant - Oxfam
📍Remote
🤝Contract
🗓️May 15, 2025

🧑‍💻Communications & Design - Lead Transformations Community
📍Remote
💰$40/hour
🤝Part-time

🧑‍💻Senior Data Analysts – Cash Consortium of Sudan - Mercy Corps
📍Remote, US
🤝Contract

🧑‍💻Consultant- Human Resources - World Resources Institute
📍Remote
🤝Contract

🧑‍💻Global Leadership Program - Aghakhan Foundation Canada
📍Remote
🗓️June 8, 2025

🧑‍💻UK x UEL Research Design for Social Impact
📍UK Based
🗓️June 13, 2025

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Behind the scenes at IMMA

A few things we’re excited about right now:

🪴 The next SEED cohort is coming up!
If you want to build your premium offer without doing it in isolation or by trial and error — SEED is for you.
It’s a structured, guided experience that saves you weeks of work and helps you launch your offer and clients by design, not chance.
We only take on 10 people, and we’re only running this and one other cohort this year.

📝 Thinking about joining IMMA but never made the move?
We’d love to know why. It takes just 1 minute to share, and you'll be entered to win a 1:1 clarity session with me, valued at 350€. Wondering if it’s worth it? Here’s what Chiara had to say about how a session changed her.
Take the survey →

🌍 What our members are up to:

• Nenad Maljković is hosting the Networks Festival a six week event to connect, imagine and rewire how change happens.

• Emma Greer is presenting the Urban Heat Chronicles at the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia

We’re so proud of the work this community is doing. It’s bold, meaningful, and it’s shaping the future.

Thank you for reading,
Lilli