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Your first 90 days: test light, then build

Most launch checklists start with the expensive part: an entity, compliance filings, a warehouse, a channel. We sequence it the other way, because most failed entries die on demand, not paperwork. Prove real US demand with a light test first; the heavy spend starts only after a GO. Pick your category and save the plan as a PDF.

Product category

Phase 1Days 1 to 14
Set up a light demand test
Finding out whether Americans will buy doesn't require an entity, inventory, or FDA paperwork. It takes research, a test landing page, and a way to reach real buyers.
Competitor landscape and US pricing research
Mostly time · about 1 week
US-facing test landing page
$0 to $500 · days
Target buyer list (B2B) or audience definition (B2C)
About 1 week
Outreach sequences and test ad creative
Days to 1 week
Gate
Gate: is the test ready to launch?
Phase 2Days 15 to 70
Run the 8-week demand test
Real ads, real outreach, real money, on a test-sized budget. Track response weekly. This is the small spend that tells you whether the big spend is safe.
B2B: outbound to the target buyer list
Response-rate target: over 5%
B2C: targeted ad test driving the landing page
Test-sized ad budget · 8 weeks
Weekly metrics: response rate, meetings booked, CAC vs first-deal value
Targets: response over 5%, CAC under 30% of first-deal value
Gate
Gate: meaningful engagement, and deals progressing at a viable acquisition cost?
Phase 3Days 71 to 75
The verdict: scale, pivot, or pause
Decide on the numbers, not the dream. A pause here costs you a test budget, not a failed market entry.
SCALE: response over 5%, CAC under 30% of first-deal value, deals in pipeline
Proceed to the build phase below
PIVOT: some response, but the wrong segment, pricing, or positioning
Adjust and retest before any heavy spend
PAUSE: weak response, no path to a viable acquisition cost
Don't proceed; you just saved the cost of a failed entry
Gate
Everything below is gated on a GO.
Phase 4Days 76 to 90 and beyondOnly after a GO
After a GO: the heavy build
Only now does the expensive checklist earn its cost. Entity and banking first, compliance and tax early because approvals are slow, then logistics, then the channel. The same six jobs as the readiness check, in dependency order, de-risked by real demand data.
Form a US entity (LLC or C-Corp)
Cost: $500 to $2,000 (filing + registered agent)Time: 1 to 2 weeks
Authority: State of incorporation (e.g. Delaware)
Get an EIN, then a US bank account and a payment processor
Cost: EIN free; processor fees ~2.9% per transactionTime: Days to 2 weeks
Authority: IRS (EIN) + your bank / processor
FDA cosmetic facility registration + product listing (MoCRA)
Cost: Registration free; testing/safety substantiation extraTime: Weeks
Authority: FDA, under MoCRA
Register for sales tax in states where you cross economic nexus
Cost: Registration usually free; filing/admin ongoingTime: Per state, days each
Authority: Each state's department of revenue
Stand up fulfillment: Amazon FBA or a 3PL, plus customs/import
Cost: 3PL setup + per-unit fees; FBA referral + fulfillment feesTime: 2 to 4 weeks
Authority: Your 3PL / Amazon + US customs
Decide and stand up the primary channel (Amazon, DTC, or retail)
Cost: DTC: Shopify ~$39/mo+; Amazon: $39.99/mo + feesTime: 1 to 3 weeks
Authority: Platform of choice

Phases 1 to 3 are the test we run for brands as a service: see the 8-week demand validation program.

Day ranges overlap in practice; start each phase as soon as its dependencies clear. Guidance for planning, not legal or tax advice. Rules reviewed 2026-06. Confirm specifics with a qualified professional.

Set up a light demand test

Run the 8-week demand test

The verdict: scale, pivot, or pause

After a GO: the heavy build