** Making BBQ better **
GE's FirstBuild is taking innovation to new heights with their new indoor smoker - check it out!
[ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#)
Spotted in the wild:
** FirstBuild’s Arden Indoor Pellet Smoker and Indiegogo **
** Thanks toDavid Brand, the brilliant author of Testing Business Ideas , for spotting this and sharing it on Twitter. **
[ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#)
[ FirstBuild ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) , owned by GE Appliances (a Haier company), is testing demand for an indoor BBQ smoker using [ I ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ndiegogo ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) . It is a YouTube pretotype, best used for products that are complex or a big investment to bring to market. In this case, they have built something, but I suspect the video and results are simulated to test product demand, a perfectly valid strategy.
* Want your in the wildfeatured next month (and an Amazon gift card to boot)? *[* Hop on over to our Slack channel! *](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#)* *
** What’s working well? What could be better? **
The branding on this is not prominent, and I like that. Too often, we believe that branding is our competitive advantage when testing products. It’s not, it just helps you scale. What they’re testing here is problem-solution fit, asking: a) does anyone care? And b) are we solving a problem well enough for anyone to show interestin our product?
** What are the takeaways? **-
-
If you have a complex product or service idea, the [ YouTube pretotype ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) is an effective way to simulate the end product and test demand from customers. -
Start small: you probably don’t have a GE sized budget, so place the pretotype in a channel that makes sense. Ask yourself: where would your potential early adopters be looking for a solution to the problem you’re solving? Go there. -
Don’t ask for money immediately. You’ll notice in this pretotype they don’t give an indication of price. For starters, get emails. -
** ** In the field ** Want to start experimenting in your business,but you’re not sure where to start? Then let’s find out... ** [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) ** ** One thing Lastly, here's a great quote from [ James Clear ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) to take you into the week ahead. [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) ** Liked this? Pass it on! Share this newsletter: ** [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) Did someone else share the love? [ ** Join our community ** ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) to receive our newsletters each month. Until next month, happy innovating! ** ** ** Leslie ** ** ** ** Can't get enough of innovation? ** ** ** ** There's plenty more where this came from... ** ** ** ** ** ** Join our pretotyping Slack community ** Our community is full of innovators from around the world, [ join us ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) to ask questions, share ideas, and learn from the best. [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) ** Learn pretotyping, online! ** As we start looking towards the year ahead, there's no better time to become a Certified Pretotyper and raise your innovation game. The first module is yours, completely free, [ sign up here ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) today! [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) Pretotyping vs. Prototyping When discussing the concept of pretotyping with someone new, we often get asked the question: "Wait... don't you mean 'prototyping'?" We get that it can be confusing, and so we'd like to clear it up. [ Read more ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) . [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) [ ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) * Copyright © Exponentially, All rights reserved. * Sent to: _t.e.s.t_@example.com [ Unsubscribe ](https://www.exponentially.com/blog/making-bbq-better#) Exponentially, 7 Riverside Quay, Melbourne Victoria 3006, Australia