Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's not my experience; I now avoid asking hypotheticals because the results for me have been very unreliable. I'm certainly unreliable that way. There are a number of Kickstarters where I've said, "OMG I'd pay for that!" But if I come back to it a couple of days later, I'll never actually click on the signup button. I'm even worse with things like this in person. I don't like disappointing people, so I'll try hard…
>>That's not my experience; I now avoid asking hypotheticals because the results for me have been very unreliable. The point in this context is that, while it may still be unreliable, it would be more reliable than simply asking if they like your product. And it is the best you can do, since no one is going to actually pay for a product that doesn't exist yet.
And, as mentioned elsewhere, people can think they are about to pay for a nonexistent product. Once you have proven willingness, there are a variety of ways you can finesse the issue of not actually having a product.