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:
What specific pain point does your ICP feel? How do they currently solve this? What's wrong with current solutions? How often do they experience this pain? What does this problem cost them?
Timing:
Why is NOW the right time? What has changed recently? What barriers existed before that are now gone?
ICP:
Company type, size, industry Buyer vs. user role 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
For detailed execution workflow, output templates, and PCV calculations: references/full-guide.md