How to evaluate a startup idea before building
A strong evaluation does not ask whether an idea sounds exciting. It asks whether a specific person has a costly enough problem, how they solve it today, what evidence suggests they will change, and whether this team can deliver a credible first step.
Start with the problem and current behavior
Name one target user, the situation in which the problem occurs, the cost of leaving it unresolved, and the workaround already in use. Existing effort, spending, delay, or risk is stronger evidence than a general statement that the idea is useful.
Separate evidence from enthusiasm
List interviews, commitments, paid trials, workflow data, repeated requests, or independently checkable signals. Label assumptions honestly. Compliments and hypothetical willingness are weak until they produce action.
Test the wedge and the founder fit
Explain why this solution can enter the market now, why a narrow first segment would switch, and what the founder knows or can do that changes the odds. A good market with no credible execution path is still an incomplete venture.
Choose the next decision, not the final company
End the evaluation with the smallest evidence-producing step: a manual service, prototype, paid pilot, technical spike, or scoped MVP. State what result would support continuing and what would force a change.