Best Practices for Idea Validation
Get the most accurate results from StartupVision
Writing Great Idea Descriptions
The more context you provide, the better your analysis will be
Good Description
"Specific, detailed, and actionable"
"A fitness app for busy parents who struggle to find time to work out. Current solutions require 45+ minute blocks, but my app offers effective 15-minute workouts designed around naptime and school drop-offs."
Target: Mothers aged 28-40 with children under 5, household income $75K+
Validation: Surveyed 150 local moms, 73% said they'd pay $19.99/month
Poor Description
"Too vague to analyze effectively"
"A fitness app that helps people work out at home with personalized plans."
Problems:
- - No target market specified
- - No differentiation from competitors
- - No monetization strategy
Define Your Target
"Be specific about who you're serving"
- Demographics (age, income, location)
- Pain points and frustrations
- Current solutions they use
- Willingness to pay
Show Your Edge
"What makes you uniquely qualified?"
- Industry experience
- Technical skills
- Network and connections
- Available budget
Revenue Model
"How will you make money?"
- Subscription pricing
- Freemium vs premium tiers
- B2B or B2C approach
- Price points considered
Understanding Your Results
How to interpret scores and make the most of each section
Overall Score
"Your idea's validation strength"
Suggested interpretations:
- 80-100: May indicate strong potential
- 60-79: May be promising with work
- 40-59: May need refinement
- Below 40: May have concerns to address
Market Size
"TAM, SAM, SOM breakdown"
- TAM: Total addressable market
- SAM: Serviceable market
- SOM: Realistic target
- Growth projections
Competition
"Competitive landscape analysis"
- Direct competitors
- Market positioning
- Differentiation gaps
- SWOT analysis
Financials
"Revenue and cost projections"
- 5-year P&L projections
- CAC/LTV analysis
- Break-even timeline
- Funding requirements
Taking Action on Your Results
What to do after you get your validation report
High Score (80+)
"Move fast and start building"
- Start building your MVP
- Create landing page for signups
- Begin customer interviews
- Consider fundraising options
Medium Score (50-79)
"Refine before you commit"
- Address identified weaknesses
- Conduct more market research
- Test assumptions with surveys
- Re-validate with updates
Low Score (Below 50)
"Pivot or iterate significantly"
- Review all critical risks
- Consider major pivots
- Find new differentiators
- Explore adjacent markets
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Improve your validation accuracy by avoiding these pitfalls
Being Too Vague
"Generic descriptions get generic results"
- "An app for everyone"
- Specify exact target demographics
Ignoring Competition
"'No competition' is a red flag"
- "Nothing like this exists"
- List known competitors and gaps
Hiding Weaknesses
"Honesty leads to better advice"
- Pretending there are no risks
- Share constraints and concerns
No Revenue Plan
"How will you make money?"
- "Figure it out later"
- Include pricing strategy
Skipping Background
"Your experience matters"
- No mention of relevant skills
- Share expertise and resources
No Specific Questions
"Ask what you want to know"
- "Just tell me if it's good"
- End with focused questions
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