Session Brief: 5-Minuten VC-Check

Goal

Artifact: VC-check note

Working Question

Is this idea structurally strong enough to deserve a next validation round?

Context

Short idea description, assumed target group, known alternatives or competitors, and rough price assumption if present.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 5-15 min
• Mode: Workshop or async
• Participants: One idea owner, optional critical sparring partner with founder- or investor-perspective. In groups: at most five people, otherwise the timebox weakens.
• Owner: One idea owner, optional critical sparring partner with founder- or investor-perspective
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward VC-check note. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

An empty check table with five rows; timer; a field for decision and next validation step.

Preparation

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.

Agenda

1. Minute 1: Problem quality (1-2 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: State the problem in one sentence and assess whether it has pain, urgency, or economic relevance. Hint: If the problem is described only as a solution, the idea is not ready for evaluation. Output: VC-check note

2. Minute 2: Target customer (1-2 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Name the concrete target group and separate user, buyer, and decision maker when they are not the same person. Hint: Broad target groups such as all companies or all developers are warning signals. Output: Go/sharpen/park decision

3. Minute 3: Current solution (1-2 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Write down how the problem is solved today: existing tools, manual workarounds, internal process, or ignoring it. Hint: Existing competition is not a reason to stop. It often shows demand exists. Output: Risk and assumption list

4. Minute 4: Differentiation (1-2 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Check why the new solution would be clearly better: simpler, faster, cheaper, more precise, more accessible, or easier to distribute. Hint: A single feature advantage is usually not enough. Look for a clear reason to switch. Output: Next validation step

5. Minute 5: Market and decision (1-3 min) Owner: Owner Action: Roughly estimate whether the segment can become large enough, and decide: deepen, sharpen, or park. Hint: The decision must be tied to the strongest unresolved assumption. Output: VC-check note

6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: VC-check note

Closeout

• Update result artifact: VC-check note
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

VC-check note: 5-Minuten VC-Check

Working Question

Is this idea structurally strong enough to deserve a next validation round?

Context

Short idea description, assumed target group, known alternatives or competitors, and rough price assumption if present.

Participants

• Owner: One idea owner, optional critical sparring partner with founder- or investor-perspective
• Participants: One idea owner, optional critical sparring partner with founder- or investor-perspective. In groups: at most five people, otherwise the timebox weakens.

Input

An empty check table with five rows; timer; a field for decision and next validation step.

Template

5-Minute VC Check Working Template

Idea in one sentence

For [target customer], we solve [problem] with [new approach], so that [benefit].

Checklist questions

Triage

• Decision: Deepen / Sharpen / Park
• strongest open assumption:
• biggest risk:
• most important positive signal:

Next validation step

• Format: problem interview / smoke test / landing page / concierge test / desk research
• Target group:
• Success signal:
• Owner:
• Date:

Completion Check

• VC-check note is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision