Validated – Your Idea Validation Blueprint

This works for:

SaaS
Services
Content offers
AI tools
E-commerce
Any business idea

STEP 1 — Problem: Is this a hair-on-fire problem?

Ask:

Is this a painful problem people already feel?
Are they actively trying to solve it?
Do they spend money/time today to fix it?
Is it frequent (daily/weekly) or rare?

✅ YES = move forward ⚠️ NO = might be a “nice-to-have” → not ideal

STEP 2 — Person: Who is the target user?

Ask:

Who exactly has this problem? (founder, student, coach, investor…)
Can they afford to pay?
Where do they hang out online (Twitter, Reddit, FB groups, forums)?
Do you understand how they think?

✅ The more specific, the better. Rich niche > broad crowd.

STEP 3 — Demand: Are people already solving this somehow?

Ask:

Are they using spreadsheets / Notion / hacks to solve it?
Are people paying for bad solutions today?
Are they talking about it (Reddit, X, forums)?
Can you find competition already making $$?

✅ Competition = GOOD → proves people pay. You just need to be different or better.

STEP 4 — Distribution: Can you reach them fast & free (or cheap)?

Ask:

Do you already have access to them (audience, network)?
Can you find them with cold email, Twitter, Reddit, etc.?
Can you test an offer without building the full thing?

✅ YES = you can validate in days ❌ NO = you might build something no one sees

STEP 5 — Willingness to Pay: Will they actually pay?

Ask:

Talk to 3–5 people:
- “Would you pay $X for this today?”
- “What are you using instead?”
- “What would make this a no-brainer for you?”

✅ Hearing “TAKE MY MONEY” = you’re gold ⚠️ Hearing “this is cool” = 🚨 polite rejection

STEP 6 — Fast MVP Feasibility

Ask:

Can you build a prototype in 7–14 days max?
Can you launch with Stripe + Google Sheet + ChatGPT before coding?

✅ YES → ship, validate, learn ❌ NO → it’s a research project, not a business (yet)

BONUS — Validation Scorecard

Rate 1–5 for each:

Criteria	Score (1-5)
Pain is urgent
Buyer is clear
People pay today
I can reach them
Willing to pay me
Fast to prototype

Total:

25+ = 🔥 Build it now
20–24 = ⚠️ Validate harder
Below 20 = ❌ Skip or reframe

Final Thoughts

If your idea scores low on urgency, demand, or willingness to pay — don’t build it. This framework forces you to validate with real signals before you waste months building.

Rule: Urgency + Access + Payment = Go. Everything else = Pass.

Validated – Your Idea Validation Blueprint