# Startup Idea Validation Agent
### *To Build or Not to Build โ that is the question this answers.*
**Stop guessing. Start validating.**
AI agents that act as your personal venture analyst โ from startup idea brainstorming to full validation and go-to-market strategy. Built for indie developers who'd rather validate in 10 minutes than regret in six months. Powered by Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and Cursor.
[](https://github.com/MaxKmet/idea-validation-agents)
[](LICENSE)
โญ **Star this repo if you've ever asked ChatGPT to generate a million dollar idea.**
---
Clone the repo. Open it in your AI tool. Start talking. No setup, no API keys, no commands.
---
## Who Is This For?
- **Indie app developers** who want to validate app ideas before building
- **Solo founders** exploring B2C startup ideas and looking for a data-driven brainstorming partner
- **Side-project builders** deciding where to invest their limited time
- **Aspiring developers** with no idea yet who want to discover one worth building
- **Anyone** tired of building things nobody wants
---
## ๐ Quickstart
No installation. No dependencies. No terminal commands. Just clone and go.
### Claude Code
1. Clone this repository
```bash
git clone https://github.com/MaxKmet/idea-validation-agents.git
```
2. Open [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code) and open the project folder
3. Start a new chat and say anything โ e.g., `"I want to build a habit tracker for climbers. Is it worth it?"`
4. The agent activates automatically from `CLAUDE.md` and starts the right workflow
### OpenAI Codex CLI
1. Clone this repository
```bash
git clone https://github.com/MaxKmet/idea-validation-agents.git
```
2. Install [Codex CLI](https://github.com/openai/codex) if you haven't yet
```bash
npm install -g @openai/codex
```
3. Navigate to the project folder and run Codex
```bash
cd idea-validation-agents
codex
```
4. Say what you want โ e.g., `"Help me find an app idea"`. The agent reads `AGENTS.md` and routes you automatically.
### Cursor
1. Clone this repository
```bash
git clone https://github.com/MaxKmet/idea-validation-agents.git
```
2. Open the folder in [Cursor](https://cursor.com)
3. Open the AI chat (Cmd+L / Ctrl+L) and describe your situation
Example: `"I'm a solo developer with 3 years experience. Help me validate an idea for climbers โ a habit tracker with daily streaks and tips."`
4. The agent reads from `.cursor/rules/` and activates automatically
> **That's it.** The agent detects your intent and routes you to the right workflow. All analysis results are saved to the `memory/` folder so nothing is lost between sessions.
---
## Workflows - 4 Ways to Use the Agent
### ๐ก Idea Generation โ *"I don't know what to build"* ยท `~10โ15 min`
The agent interviews you about your background, skills, and interests โ then researches what's actually trending โ and generates 7โ10 scored app ideas matched specifically to you.
```
I don't have an app idea yet. Help me find one.
What should I build? I'm a fitness coach with 8k Instagram followers.
I want to find an app idea in the productivity space.
```
**Steps:** background interview โ builder profile โ trend analysis โ idea generation โ scoring
**Methodology:** Trend signals are pulled from TikTok Creative Center (hashtag velocity), Reddit (community pain language), X/Twitter (public builder and buyer conversations), App Store (new entrants + review patterns), and Google Trends (search demand). Ideas are filtered against your domain expertise, skills, and distribution advantages from the interview โ so you get ideas you can actually build and sell.
**Output:** Ranked + scored list of app ideas saved to `memory/ideas/`
> Don't want to answer questions? Say **"browse topics"** to pick from 20 product domains, or **"skip"** to jump straight to ideas.
---
### ๐ Idea Validation โ *"Is my idea worth building?"* ยท `~10โ15 min`
Full 9-step validation. Every dimension scored, weighted, and combined into a final verdict โ with the single riskiest assumption identified and a concrete experiment to test it before writing any code.
```
Validate my idea: an AI tool that rewrites your emails to sound more professional.
I want to build a habit tracker for intermittent fasting. Worth it?
Score this โ a subscription app that sends meal plans based on your grocery budget.
```
**Steps:** trend analysis โ competitor mapping โ desire scoring โ pricing model โ distribution analysis โ retention prediction โ CAC modeling โ final score (0โ100) โ decision memo
**Methodology:**
- **Scoring** uses a multiplicative-floor algorithm โ one catastrophic weakness kills the overall score, just like in a real startup
- **Pricing** is estimated via Van Westendorp price sensitivity analysis + desire-premium multipliers (e.g. survival/status desires command 1.3โ2ร price premium)
- **Distribution** models viral coefficient (k-factor) across 6 loop types, ASO opportunity via a 5-factor rubric, and creator economy fit
- **Competitors** are analyzed via systematic App Store search + 1-star/3-star review mining to surface the exact gaps incumbents leave open
- **Riskiest Assumption Test (RAT)** designs a โค2-week, โค$100 behavioral experiment to validate the single assumption most likely to kill the idea
- **Pre-mortem** (Klein, 2007) imagines the idea failing in 12 months and traces the most probable causes back to scored weaknesses
**Output:** `decision_memo.md` โ verdict (pursue / test / pivot / drop), strengths, risks, RAT experiment, kill criteria, and your next step
---
### ๐ Market Deep Dive โ *"Tell me about this market"* ยท `~10โ15 min`
Research a category before committing to any idea. Understand who already owns it, what users hate, and whether the timing is right.
```
Tell me about the journaling app market.
What's happening in the AI language learning space?
Is the meditation app market still worth entering?
```
**Steps:** multi-platform trend analysis โ competitor landscape โ market size (TAM/SAM/SOM) โ distribution channel assessment
**Methodology:**
- Trend velocity scored across platforms: rising-fast / rising / stable / declining
- X/Twitter analysis separates public demand signals from viral noise, then corroborates them against pricing, competitors, and cross-platform evidence
- Market saturation rated via a 5-factor rubric (competitor count, incumbent dominance, funding activity, keyword saturation, content saturation)
- Market size uses triangulated bottom-up estimation: search volume ร intent conversion rate, community size ร platform multiplier, and competitor revenue proxies โ cross-checked for consistency
- SOM estimates use indie-realistic capture rate benchmarks by app category (e.g. niche productivity: 0.5โ2.0% year 1)
**Output:** Trend intelligence + competitor map + TAM/SAM/SOM estimates saved to `memory/market_insights/`
---
### ๐ Pivot Optimization โ *"My idea scored low. Now what?"* ยท `~10โ15 min`
Finds the best version of a failing idea instead of abandoning it entirely. Each pivot option changes exactly 1โ2 variables โ audience, niche, pricing model, or feature emphasis โ with a projected score improvement before you commit.
```
My idea scored 34/100. Should I pivot?
The validation said to pivot. What are my best options?
This isn't working โ what should I change about my fitness app idea?
```
**Steps:** re-read scores โ weakness root cause analysis โ 2โ3 pivot options with projected scores โ re-score best option
**Methodology:**
- Weaknesses are classified by root cause: structural (can't fix), situational (fixable with time/budget), knowledge-gap (needs more research), or addressable (clear fix exists) โ only the latter two generate pivot options
- Each pivot must pass the **Same Idea Test**: changes 1โ2 variables, preserves at least one strong dimension, and has evidence from market_insights or competitor review mining
- Scoring simulation projects how each dimension shifts before full re-scoring
- Effort is estimated and adjusted for founder tier โ what's "medium" for a builder is "high" for a beginner
**Output:** `pivot_options.json` with ranked pivots, effort estimates, and projected score ranges
---
## What Gets Saved
All outputs persist in `memory/` between sessions.
```
memory/
โโโ user_profile.md โ your builder profile (reused across sessions)
โโโ market_insights/
โ โโโ fitness-tiktok-2026-04.md โ trend data per niche + platform
โโโ ideas/
โโโ habit-tracker-climbers/
โโโ competitors.json
โโโ pricing.json
โโโ scores.json
โโโ decision_memo.md โ the final verdict
```
---
**[โญ Star this repo](https://github.com/MaxKmet/idea-validation-agents)** so you don't lose it.
*Validate in 10 minutes. Build with confidence.*