Is My Startup Idea Worth Building?
You can’t know if your startup idea is “the best.” There’s no such thing. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from running a product design agency and helping 27+ startups launch their MVPs, it’s this: The difference between founders who waste months and those who build traction isn’t the quality of the idea—it’s brutal, early validation.
The Steve Jobs Trap
Every founder who has ever avoided user research has said the same thing: “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Usually, they say this right before spending $30k building a product that solves a problem nobody actually has.
Unless you are building a category-defining hardware shift like the iPhone, you aren't Steve Jobs. You are a builder. And builders need a foundation of truth.
The 3-Question Worthiness Framework
An idea is only worth building if it passes these three markers of "Market Gravity":
- Is the problem frequent and painful? A problem people face once a year is a hobby. A problem they face every morning is a business.
- Are they already trying to solve it? If your target users aren't already using a "hacky" solution (like a messy Google Sheet or a manual workaround), they probably don’t care enough to pay for yours.
- Is there a 'Job to be Done'? People don't buy products; they "hire" them to make progress in their lives.
The "Mom Test" Approach
The biggest mistake is asking: “Would you use this?” Everyone will say yes to be nice. Instead, ask about their past behavior. Talk about their life, not your idea.
"The world is full of people with great ideas who are waiting for someone else to validate them. The 0→1 founder validates themselves through data."
How to Know When to Pivot
Validation isn't just about finding a "Yes." It's about finding a "No" quickly so you don't go broke. If you speak to 10 people and none of them can describe the pain point without you prompting them, kill the idea. Save your energy for the next one.