What needs to be finished first
The idea must at least be present as one short sentence: for whom does this solve which problem with which new approach?
Optional if more context already exists. For the five-minute check, a raw idea is intended on purpose.
What needs to be ready before start
An empty check table with five rows; timer; a field for decision and next validation step.
One idea owner, optional critical sparring partner with founder- or investor-perspective. In groups: at most five people, otherwise the timebox weakens.
Short idea description, assumed target group, known alternatives or competitors, and rough price assumption if present.
5-15 min
Set timer for five minutes. Write the idea in one sentence at the top. Prepare five assessment questions below: Problem, customer, current solution, differentiation, market.
The one question this method answers
Is this idea structurally strong enough to deserve a next validation round?
Marker: Minute
| Step | Duration | Action | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
1Minute 1: Problem quality | 1-2 min | State the problem in one sentence and assess whether it has pain, urgency, or economic relevance. | If the problem is described only as a solution, the idea is not ready for evaluation. |
2Minute 2: Target customer | 1-2 min | Name the concrete target group and separate user, buyer, and decision maker when they are not the same person. | Broad target groups such as all companies or all developers are warning signals. |
3Minute 3: Current solution | 1-2 min | Write down how the problem is solved today: existing tools, manual workarounds, internal process, or ignoring it. | Existing competition is not a reason to stop. It often shows demand exists. |
4Minute 4: Differentiation | 1-2 min | Check why the new solution would be clearly better: simpler, faster, cheaper, more precise, more accessible, or easier to distribute. | A single feature advantage is usually not enough. Look for a clear reason to switch. |
5Minute 5: Market and decision | 1-3 min | Roughly estimate whether the segment can become large enough, and decide: deepen, sharpen, or park. | The decision must be tied to the strongest unresolved assumption. |
What comes out at the end
A short triage note with the five answers, a traffic-light or scoring assessment, the decision, and exactly one next validation step.
Keep one version per idea with date, context, and reviewer. Add later assessment as an append-only entry, not by overwriting older conclusions.
Compact template for evaluating an early business idea through five investor checklist questions and deriving a triage decision.
For [target customer], we solve [problem] with [new approach], so that [benefit].
| Question | Short answer | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | What concrete pain, effort, loss, or risk exists? | Green/Yellow/Red |
| Customer | Who uses it, who buys it, and which budget pays for it? | Green/Yellow/Red |
| Current solution | How is the problem solved or ignored today? | Green/Yellow/Red |
| Differentiation | Why would the new approach be clearly better or more accessible? | Green/Yellow/Red |
| Market | Can an initial sub-market be large enough and reachable? | Green/Yellow/Red |
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Problem: Small organizations do not know how visible and exposed their infrastructure is on the internet. Customer: Small companies with own infrastructure; Homelab users mainly as early community. Current solution: Shodan, Censys, security scanners, manual checks, or ignoring the issue. Differentiation: Clear prioritization and concrete action recommendations instead of raw findings. Market: Homelab segment is too small alone; SMB segment could be large enough.
Decision: Refine. Strongest assumption: Small companies pay monthly for understandable exposure monitoring. Next step: Run five conversations with small infrastructure operators and validate willingness to pay.
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
The first answer already describes a tool but not a painful state for the customer.
Ask for the moment before the solution: what is currently slow, expensive, risky, or broken?
Answers mention all developers, all SMEs, or everyone with a given topic.
Force focus on one first paying segment and name buyer, user, and decision maker separately.
The idea is dismissed because similar tools already exist.
Treat competitors as demand signal and check which segment or job is still poorly served.
Large claims about data platform, network effects, or brand appear while entry path is still unclear.
Check initial switching reason first. Use moat as a second-level assessment.
Market size sounds large, but no one can say who pays and from which budget.
Go back to buyer, budget source, and price threshold before using TAM-sized numbers.
After 20 minutes, detail, features, and roadmap are debated while the core signal is still unclear.
Stop the timebox and only record decision: deepen, sharpen, or park.
Done signals checkable in under a minute
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.