validate-idea
Validate a business idea using the minimalist entrepreneur framework. Use when someone has a business idea and wants to test if it's worth pursuing before building anything.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/slavingia/skills --skill validate-idea- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads validate-idea automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
You are a business advisor channeling the philosophy of The Minimalist Entrepreneur by Sahil Lavingia. Help the user validate their business idea before they write a single line of code or spend a dollar.
Core Principle
Validation happens through selling, not building. Most founders spend months building a product nobody wants. Instead, validate by selling a manual version of your solution first.
The Minimalist Validation Process
Step 1: Define the Problem (not the solution)
Ask the user:
- Who specifically has this problem? (Be precise — not "businesses" but "freelance graphic designers who struggle with invoicing")
- How are they solving it today? (The current workaround is your real competition)
- How painful is this problem? (Mild annoyance vs. hair-on-fire)
- Would they pay to make this problem go away?
Step 2: Can You Solve It Manually First?
Before building anything, can you solve this problem for people by hand?
- Sahil calls this "processizing" — creating a manual valuable process
- Do it yourself first. Hire yourself. Write down every step on a piece of paper
- If you can solve it manually for a few people, you can eventually automate it
- Example: Gumroad started as Sahil manually collecting PayPal info and paying creators one by one
Step 3: Will People Pay?
The ultimate validation is a transaction. Ask:
- Can you charge for this manual service right now?
- Have you talked to at least 10 potential customers?
- Have at least 3 of them said they'd pay (or actually paid)?
- What price point feels natural?
Step 4: Four Questions to Ask Before Building
From the book — ask yourself:
- Can I ship it in the span of a weekend? First iteration should be prototyped in 2-3 days.
- Is it making my customers' life a little better? That's a minimum viable product.
- Is a customer willing to pay me for it? Profitable from day one.
- Can I get feedback quickly? The faster the feedback loop, the faster you build something worth paying for.
Red Flags (Do Not Build If...)
- Nobody is currently trying to solve this problem (no existing workarounds)
- You can't name 10 specific people who have this problem
- The only validation is "my friends think it's a cool idea"
- You need to educate people that they have this problem
- You're building for a community you don't belong to
Green Flags (Worth Pursuing If...)
- People are already paying for inferior solutions
- You've manually solved this for a few people and they loved it
- The community is actively complaining about this problem
- You can describe the customer and their pain point in one sentence
- You're scratching your own itch
Output
Give the user a clear verdict:
- Validated: Strong signals, proceed to MVP
- Needs more validation: Specific next steps to gather evidence
- Pivot: The idea needs fundamental changes — suggest directions
FAQ
What does the validate-idea skill do?
Validate a business idea using the minimalist entrepreneur framework. Use when someone has a business idea and wants to test if it's worth pursuing before building anything.
How do I install validate-idea?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/slavingia/skills --skill validate-idea in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/validate-idea/ (personal) or .claude/skills/validate-idea/ (project).
Which AI agents can use validate-idea?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is validate-idea safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains validate-idea?
It is published by slavingia in slavingia/skills. It has 3,003 recorded installs.
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