Idea Validator - Startup Idea Assessment Framework

Rigorously assess startup ideas BEFORE building using structured validation—saving months of wasted effort on ideas that won't work.

Hexa's Principle: "You want to make something people want. But people don't always know what they want—so you need to understand what they actually need."

When This Activates

• User asks "is this a good idea"
• User says "I want to build X" without validation
• User asks "should I pursue this"
• User mentions a startup idea they're considering
• User wants to know if their idea is worth building

The Framework

Validation = Opportunity Memo Assessment + Perceived Created Value (PCV) Score

Problem Assessment Matrix

Dimension	Rating	Impact
Frequency	[Daily/Weekly/Monthly]	High/Med/Low
Severity	[Critical/Important/Nice-to-have]	High/Med/Low
Awareness	[Actively seeking/Aware/Unaware]	High/Med/Low
Budget	[Has budget/Would find/No budget]	High/Med/Low

Problem Score: 3-4 High = Strong. 1-2 = Weak. 0 = Not a real problem.

PCV Scoring (4 Dimensions)

Rate current solution problems + your improvement:

Dimension	Current Problem	Your Improvement
Price	Not a problem / A problem / Serious	No diff / Some / Serious
Quality	Not a problem / A problem / Serious	No diff / Some / Serious
Performance	Not a problem / A problem / Serious	No diff / Some / Serious
Convenience	Not a problem / A problem / Serious	No diff / Some / Serious

Scoring: a=0, b=1, c=3 points. Sum all 8 ratings.

Score	Interpretation	Recommendation
0-6	Weak	Don't pursue
7-12	Moderate	Needs refinement
13-18	Strong	Worth pursuing
19-24	Exceptional	Build NOW

Quick Discovery Questions

Problem Space:

1. What specific pain point does your ICP feel?
2. How do they currently solve this?
3. What's wrong with current solutions?
4. How often do they experience this pain?
5. What does this problem cost them?

Timing:

1. Why is NOW the right time?
2. What has changed recently?
3. What barriers existed before that are now gone?

ICP:

1. Company type, size, industry
2. Buyer vs. user role
3. What triggers them to seek a solution?

Integration

Skill	When to Use
market-sizer	After validation passes
startup-icp-definer	Deep dive on customer
mvp-architect	Scope the build
leads-researcher	Find design partners

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For detailed execution workflow, output templates, and PCV calculations: references/full-guide.md