Free Tool

Startup Idea Validator

Score your startup idea across 10 critical dimensions. Get an instant grade with actionable recommendations for every weak spot.

Question 1 of 109%
Problem Severity

How painful is the problem you're solving?

1 — Nice-to-have — people cope fine without a solution10 — Hair-on-fire — people actively spend money/time trying to solve this

What Makes a Strong Startup Idea

The best startup ideas share a pattern: they solve a painful problem for a specific audience who is already spending money on inferior solutions. Everything else — timing, team, technology — amplifies or diminishes that core signal.

Problem Severity

A vitamin (nice-to-have) struggles. A painkiller (must-have) thrives. The strongest ideas solve problems people complain about weekly, not annually.

Market Timing

Too early and you're educating the market. Too late and you're fighting incumbents. The sweet spot: an enabling technology just matured (AI, mobile, crypto) creating new possibilities.

Customer Access

Can you reach 100 potential customers this month? If not, even a perfect product dies in obscurity. Founders with direct access to their target market have a 3x higher success rate.

Monetization Clarity

If you can't describe how you make money in one sentence, the idea needs work. The best MVPs launch with a payment flow on day one.

How to Use Your Score

Your score isn't a verdict — it's a diagnostic. Every dimension that scores below 7 is a specific area to investigate before investing significant time or money.

Score 80-100 (A): Build Now

Strong signal across all dimensions. Your biggest risk is execution speed — someone else may be building the same thing. Move fast: scope an MVP to 3-5 core features, build in 2-4 weeks, and get it in front of paying users.

Score 65-79 (B): Validate Then Build

Promising foundation with 1-2 weak areas. Spend 1-2 weeks on targeted validation: run customer interviews, test pricing, or build a landing page to measure demand. Fix the gaps, then build with confidence.

Score 50-64 (C): Research More

Interesting kernel but significant unknowns. Before building anything, talk to 20+ potential customers, study competitors deeply, and consider whether a pivot on the target audience or problem framing could unlock a stronger score.

Score Below 50 (D-F): Rethink

Multiple critical gaps. This doesn't mean the idea is dead — it means the current formulation needs work. Many successful startups pivoted 2-3 times before finding product-market fit. Use the per-dimension feedback to identify what to change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the startup idea scoring work?+
Each of the 10 questions maps to a critical success factor for startups. You rate each dimension 1-10, giving a total score out of 100. We then grade it A-F and provide specific recommendations for any dimension scoring below 7. The framework is based on Y Combinator's evaluation criteria, Paul Graham's essays, and data from 200+ funded startups.
What score do I need to move forward with my idea?+
There's no magic threshold, but here's a guide: A (80-100) — strong foundation, move fast. B (65-79) — promising, address weak areas before building. C (50-64) — potential, but needs significant refinement. D (35-49) — major gaps, pivot or rethink. F (0-34) — back to the drawing board. Most successful startups score B+ at the idea stage — they don't need a perfect idea, just a good-enough one with strong execution.
My idea scored low — should I give up?+
Absolutely not. A low score identifies specific weak areas to fix, not a death sentence. Airbnb would have scored poorly on 'market size' (people renting air mattresses) and 'willingness to pay' (staying in strangers' homes). The score is a diagnostic tool — use it to strengthen your approach, not to kill your ambition.
Which dimension matters most for success?+
Problem severity and willingness to pay are the two strongest predictors. If people have a painful problem AND they're already spending money to solve it (however poorly), you have a real opportunity. Technical feasibility and timing matter too, but they're secondary — you can always improve the tech, but you can't manufacture demand.
How is this different from just asking friends?+
Friends tell you what you want to hear. This tool forces structured evaluation across 10 specific dimensions, many of which founders skip (like competition analysis and customer access). It also provides calibrated recommendations based on where hundreds of startups typically fail — not just gut reactions.
Can I use this for an existing product, not just a new idea?+
Yes. If you're considering a pivot, new feature direction, or market expansion, run it through the validator. Score your current product vs. the proposed change. It works for any product-market fit assessment, not just net-new ideas.
What should I do after getting my score?+
Focus on your two lowest-scoring dimensions. For each, we provide a specific recommendation. If your weakest areas are 'customer access' and 'willingness to pay,' run 10 customer interviews before writing any code. If it's 'technical feasibility,' build a proof-of-concept. If your score is B or above and you're ready to build, book a free scope review with us.
Is my idea data stored or shared?+
No. All scoring happens client-side in your browser. We don't store your answers, scores, or idea descriptions. If you opt to get the PDF report via email, we only store your email address — not your quiz responses.

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