How long does validation take?
About thirty seconds for the scored verdict and per-category breakdown. Premium signal checks take longer because they query live data sources for demand, competition and brand availability.
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Idea validation tool
This is the full validator. Paste a description of a startup, SaaS, app or side project and it returns a scored idea validation verdict in around thirty seconds — no account, no email, no credit card for the first pass.
Getting an accurate score
- 1
Name a specific buyer
"Small businesses" scores badly. "Independent accounting practices with 5–20 staff" scores well, because a specific buyer makes demand, distribution and pricing all assessable.
- 2
Describe the pain, not the product
The engine weights Real Pain highest. Explain what currently goes wrong, how often, and what it costs them — not the features you plan to build.
- 3
Say how you would reach them
Distribution is ten percent of the score and the most common reason an otherwise strong idea stalls. Name a channel you can actually use in week one.
- 4
Include your pricing intent
Even a rough number lets the engine assess whether the monetisation model is consistent with the buyer and the problem you described.
The ten categories, and what each is worth
Every idea is scored on all ten. The weight column is the share each category contributes to the final score out of 100.
| Category | Weight | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Real Pain | 20% | Does this solve an expensive, obvious, recurring problem? |
| Market Demand | 15% | Would a real market care enough to look for this now? |
| Defensibility | 15% | Can the idea resist fast copycats or commodity pressure? |
| Competition Saturation | 10% | How favorable is the competitive space for a new entrant? |
| Clarity | 10% | Is the customer, problem, and promise clear in one pass? |
| Monetisation Potential | 10% | Is there a believable path to getting paid? |
| Distribution Potential | 10% | Can this get customers without heroic spend or luck? |
| Execution Difficulty | 5% | How manageable is the build and operating complexity? |
| Speed to MVP | 3% | How quickly can a credible first version ship? |
| Name Strength | 2% | Is the current name credible, ownable, and usable? |
What the verdict means
- Ship80–100
- Strong enough to justify building. Move, but keep validating with real buyers.
- Fix55–79
- A real opportunity with a specific weakness. Iterate on the lowest categories before committing.
- Skip0–54
- The problems are structural. Better to learn that now than after six months of building.
Common questions
What kinds of ideas can I validate?
Anything with a buyer and a way of getting paid — SaaS, mobile apps, ecommerce, marketplaces, agencies, productised services and side hustles. Ideas with no identifiable buyer will score poorly, correctly.
Is my idea kept private?
Yes. Submissions are encrypted and are not published or shared.
Why did my idea score lower than I expected?
Usually one of three things: the market is more crowded than assumed, the differentiation would not survive a well-funded competitor copying it, or the description was too vague for the engine to credit. The category breakdown tells you which.
Keep going
Is my business idea good?
The specific question, answered with a scored verdict instead of a yes or no.
Idea validation tool
Run any startup, SaaS or app idea through the full 10-category validator.
Market demand analysis
Check whether real searchers are actively looking for what you plan to build.
Competition density
Measure how crowded the space is and whether your differentiation survives.
Startup risk signals
The five risks that actually kill early companies, scored in one pass.
TAM SAM SOM analysis
Bottom-up market sizing that survives investor scrutiny.
Validate by industry
Scoring notes and benchmarks tuned to SaaS, fintech, healthtech and 10 more.
Free calculators
Model market size, break-even, runway, CAC and LTV — no signup.
Scored idea lists
Idea lists across ten categories, each entry scored rather than just named.
Validation guides
Step-by-step guides to demand testing, market research and pricing.
Startup glossary
30 startup and unit-economics terms defined properly, with formulas and worked examples.
Compare validation tools
Skip or Ship vs IdeaProof, DimeADozen, Preuve, ValidatorAI and ChatGPT — sourced pricing and features.
Free idea score widget
Embed a free idea-scoring widget on your blog or resource page — no API key, no cost.