Convincing people to pay for something generally entails providing them with something they can use, or at least with the pledge of something they can use. One

Convincing people to pay for something generally entails providing them with something they can use, or at least with the pledge of something they can use. One common way to go about this is to create a paper prototype, pitch it to potential clients, get them to sign a non-binding letter of intent to buy the product if you develop it as per the specs, and then develop the product and sell it to those people who already told you they'd buy it. This is as contrasted with the somewhat more common, but often less successful approach of building something useful to a bunch of users, letting them use it for free while you develop the offering, and then asking them to pay.