Before You Build
Most ideas don't fail because the person wasn't smart. They fail because the right questions were never asked before the time and money were already gone.
Download the checklist →No form. No pitch. No catch. Just the questions, and honest answers.
Questions to answer before you invest anything
Answer honestly. That's all.
Cost. This is a gift. No strings attached.
This checklist came from watching founders lose years they didn't have to lose. Not because they weren't capable. Not because the idea was bad. Because they never stopped to ask whether the problem they were solving was theirs alone, whether the people they were building for had money, or whether someone had already built it and failed.
These 13 questions take 10 minutes. They have saved people from decisions that would have cost them 10 months.
The 13 questions
Answer honestly. That's the only rule.
Is the problem I'm solving mine, universal, or a specific niche?
Mine means you have it. Universal means everyone has it but no one pays to fix it. A niche means a specific group has it acutely, and will pay.
Who exactly would pay for this, can I name them specifically?
Not "small business owners." Not "people who are busy." A real person, a real role, a real problem they're losing money over right now.
Have I talked to anyone outside my own experience who has this problem?
Your own frustration is data. It is not market research. One conversation outside your circle changes everything.
Did I look at what already exists in this space before I started building?
The answer "nothing like this exists" is almost never true. What usually exists is something that failed, which tells you more than what succeeded.
Can I clearly explain why someone would choose this instead of what already exists?
Not in your head. Out loud. To someone who has never heard of you. In one sentence.
Have I validated that people actually want this solved?
Wanting something to exist and being willing to change your behavior to use it are two very different things.
Have I validated that they would pay for it?
"People love the idea" and "people opened their wallet" are not the same sentence.
Do I know what it actually takes, in time, money, and effort, to get one paying customer?
Not your best guess. An actual number, from an actual attempt.
Do I know how far I am from first dollar?
Not launch. Not users. First dollar. From a real person who did not know you before you started.
What outcome would prove this is working in 90 days?
If you can't name it, you won't know when it's failing. Or when it's working.
Am I building this because there's demand, or because building feels safer than selling?
This is the one most founders won't answer honestly. It's also the one that matters most.
Am I hoping that people who have no money will pay for something that is not fundamentally necessary?
Genuine empathy for an underserved audience is real. It is not a business model.
If someone had handed me this checklist a year ago, would I have been ready to answer honestly?
This question isn't about then. It's about right now.
If you answered every question clearly, you're ready to move. If you couldn't answer some of them, that's the work.
Either way, you now know something you didn't know when you landed here. That's the point. This checklist is a gift, no form, no follow-up, no obligation. Take it. Use it. Share it with anyone who's about to spend a year finding out the hard way.
13 questions. 10 minutes. Free.
Download the checklist →Not what you needed right now?
Everything below is free. Wherever you are, there's a next step.
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If you're already in it and things are leaking
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100 small actions, five minutes each, each one fixing something that's leaking right now.
Not sure where to start
Back to the beginning
See the full picture of what CGS does and where each door leads.