David Vogel is a video marketing strategist who helps businesses leverage the power of video to help them grow their businesses. His 100% remote video production solution allows businesses to create professional video content without the complexity or expense of an in-person video crew.
Starting a new business can feel like taking a leap of faith, but what if you didn’t have to guess? What if you had a clear, proven process to validate your idea before investing time and money?
That’s exactly what happened to me. A face-to-face conversation during a networking meeting sparked an idea—but instead of rushing in, I followed five critical steps to validate the concept, identify a new market, and launch a thriving business in just 60 days.
Had I known this framework earlier in my career, I would have avoided costly mistakes and seen success much faster. These steps are universal. Whether you’re starting your first business, launching a new product, or pivoting in your current role, this process will help you make smarter, faster decisions.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the exact 5-step framework I used to launch Vidiance, a business that’s now helping financial advisors harness the power of video testimonials to grow and succeed.
The journey started with an open mind. During a networking meeting, I had a casual conversation with a colleague who mentioned new financial regulations. At first, I dismissed the idea, thinking it wasn’t relevant to my business.
But then I paused and reflected. What if this was the opportunity I had been looking for? By digging deeper, I discovered a massive untapped market: financial advisors who could now legally use video testimonials for the first time.
Lesson: Opportunities often hide in plain sight. Stay open, listen carefully, and don’t let limiting beliefs block your vision.
Once I identified the opportunity, the next step was validation. I reached out to financial advisors, industry experts, and colleagues to test the concept through discovery calls.
These weren’t sales calls—they were conversations. I asked questions like:
These calls gave me invaluable feedback and helped shape the service into something advisors actually needed.
Lesson: Great ideas are built in collaboration. Talk to potential customers early and often
With insights from the discovery calls, I created a prototype to bring the idea to life. The prototype didn’t have to be perfect—it just needed to demonstrate the concept.
For me, this meant leveraging my existing expertise in remote video production to create sample video testimonials. These early prototypes showcased the process, compliance features, and the quality clients could expect.
Lesson: A prototype turns ideas into something tangible, making it easier to gather feedback and refine your offering.
Launching a new business comes with risk, but you can minimize it with careful planning. I focused on testing the idea without significant upfront investment.
Here’s how I de-risked the venture:
By the time I officially launched, I had a proven model and a clear understanding of what worked.
Lesson: Don’t rush into big investments. Test, tweak, and validate before scaling.
Failure is often misunderstood as something to avoid. In reality, failing fast is one of the best strategies for success.
When I launched, I made it a priority to test everything quickly. I wanted to know what worked and what didn’t as soon as possible. By embracing failure as a learning tool, I was able to refine the service rapidly and avoid costly mistakes.
Lesson: Failing fast doesn’t mean giving up—it means learning faster and adapting smarter.
Thanks to these five steps, Vidiance has grown into a thriving business that supports financial advisors across the country:
It all started with one conversation.
The next big idea could be right in front of you—it just takes a conversation, a moment of curiosity, or a willingness to listen. By following these five steps, you can transform those sparks of inspiration into something extraordinary.
Start today, and remember: sometimes, all it takes is one conversation to change your business—and your life—forever.
At Remote Video Testimonials, we have developed a fast, easy, and affordable way to get professional-quality customer video testimonials without the hassle or expense of an in-person video production crew. With our 100% remote video production process and our interview-based approach, our virtual video crew can shoot video testimonials anywhere in the country in just 30 minutes. If you would like to learn more about Remote Video Testimonials, please call (914) 677-2588 or email david@remotevideotestimonials.com
