This recipe produces a scored feasibility assessment across 10 dimensions in under 90 minutes. The output is a go/no-go/pivot recommendation with specific red flags and their severity. It kills bad ideas before founders invest weeks in business plans, and it surfaces critical blockers that would otherwise emerge months into execution.
| Path | Tools | Cost | Speed | Output Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: Solo Quick Check | Browser + spreadsheet | $0 | 60-90 min | Medium |
| B: Agent-Assisted | LLM + web search | $0.05-0.20 | 30-45 min | Medium-high |
| C: Batch Assessment | Spreadsheet + template | $0 | 20 min/idea | High |
| D: Investment Screen | Research tools | $0-50 | 45-60 min | High |
Duration: 5 minutes. Create the 10-dimension scoring matrix with weights: Problem Severity (0.15), Market Size (0.12), Competition Intensity (0.10), Differentiation Clarity (0.10), Technical Feasibility (0.10), Founder-Market Fit (0.12), Business Model Viability (0.10), Regulatory Risk (0.08), Timing (0.08), Capital Efficiency (0.05).
Duration: 10 minutes. Score 3 sub-questions: Are people paying to solve this? How often does it occur? What happens if unsolved?
Duration: 10 minutes. Quick market size estimation: find TAM number, assess growth rate, count potential customers.
Duration: 25 minutes. Score competition, differentiation, technical feasibility, founder-market fit, business model, regulatory risk, timing, and capital efficiency.
Duration: 5 minutes. Calculate weighted total. Thresholds: ≥3.8 = GO, 3.0-3.7 = CONDITIONAL GO, 2.5-2.9 = PIVOT, <2.5 = NO-GO. Red flag override: any dimension scored 1 triggers automatic review.
| Metric | Minimum | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions with evidence | > 6/10 | > 8/10 | 10/10 |
| Sub-questions answered | > 1 per dim | > 2 per dim | All |
| Time to complete | < 120 min | < 90 min | < 60 min |
| Error | Cause | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot find market size data | Market too new or niche | Use bottom-up: count customers x deal size |
| All dimensions score 3 | Insufficient research | Force-rank best 3 and worst 3, re-score |
| Founder insists GO despite NO-GO | Confirmation bias | Document objectively, suggest experiments |
| Component | Free | Paid | At Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web research | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Market data | $0 (Census, BLS) | $39/mo | $500/mo |
| Scoring template | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Confirmation bias kills feasibility checks. Every idea has at least 2 weak dimensions. [src1]
Require at least one data point per dimension. No data = score of 2.
Use immediately after classifying a startup idea, before investing time in market research or product development. This check saves founders 4-8 weeks by killing ideas with fundamental feasibility problems.