Spent PKR 20k testing a planter brand. Got 12 signups, 0 sales. Go all in or kill it?

💡Idea Validation

Hi ,recently got laid off (Used to work in CPH). Decided to test a side-business idea instead of just job-hunting ( As I was really Smart with my finance so I have a runaway of 5 years saved up) . Here's the honest breakdown — would love brutal feedback.

The idea: SADA Studio (سادہ — Urdu for "simple")

Minimal, sculptural 3D-printed planters for Pakistani homes. Inspired by brands like Aesop and Muji — premium positioning, restraint as the design philosophy. Plan was to start with planters and expand to candles, trays, minimal objects.

Site: saada.studio

What I built (in 2 weeks):

Shopify store on the Craft theme with full custom CSS to match a minimal aesthetic ( I have almost automated the whole part with claude api)
Custom branded popup (Formspree backend) that fires on every product page asking for WhatsApp + email
10% discount offer ("first 50 signups only · restocking in 2 days")
AI-generated product photos using Google Gemini (Nano Banana model) — I never had real inventory. Used reference images from Etsy + Cults3D as the source.

The validation test:

Instead of buying a 3D printer (~PKR 85k) and producing units upfront, I decided to validate demand first. So:

Set product inventory to 0 on Shopify
Showed "Sold Out" + waitlist popup to every visitor
Ran Meta ads to drive traffic
Counted how many people would leave their WhatsApp number to be notified

Essentially: lied about having stock to see if anyone actually wanted it.

The numbers (13 days, May 19 – June 1):

Ad spend: PKR 14,807 (Sales objective, no pixel installed — yes, I know, suboptimal)
Total reach: 91,395 unique people
Impressions: 201,409
Sessions to site: 1,851
Waitlist signups: 12
Cost per signup: PKR 1,234
Actual sales: 0 (because I had nothing to sell)

Pricing intent: PKR 3,500 per unit (cost of goods ~PKR 2,800 with 3D print + packaging + shipping)

My honest read:

Brand creative works — 91k Pakistani women saw it, ad CTR seems decent
12 people gave me their personal contact info — non-zero validation
Cost per lead is high (PKR 1,234) for a soft commitment
I haven't sold anything yet, so I don't actually know if these 12 will pay when product is real
Industry benchmark: waitlist leads convert at 5-15% to actual buyers, so realistically I'd get 1-2 sales from these 12

If I order 5 sample units (PKR 7,500) and message all 12 leads, the real test happens. But before I sink more money, I want outside perspective.

Where I'm honestly torn:

Is 12 signups from 91k reach actually a good signal, or am I cope-rationalizing? I've seen Pakistani brands do well with minimal aesthetics (Khaadi Home, Sapphire), but they have established trust.
Is PKR 3,500 the right price? Some local terracotta pots sell for PKR 500. Imported designer ones go for PKR 8,000+. I'm trying to occupy the middle.
Should I just hire a 3D printer service rather than buying my own? Per-unit cost is higher but no capex or I have another idea with molding and gypsium that is cost effective but a bit heavy
Am I solving a real problem or just making something I personally want to exist?

The ask — two things:

One: Brutal feedback. If this is a bad idea, tell me before I spend another PKR 50k figuring it out. If it's a good idea, please share me what you'd do differently.

Two: I'm potentially open to a co-founder. I'm strong on tech, backend, product, AI tooling, brand, Automation , Creating Product Samples's using AI. I'm weak on supply chain, operations, sales, and being in major Pakistani cities. If anyone is in Lahore/Karachi/Islamabad with operations or marketing background, interested in minimal home goods as a category, and wants to talk — DM me.

Posted Jun 3, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

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