01
Start With the Problem
Strong startup ideas often emerge from direct exposure to painful, frequent, expensive, or rapidly changing problems.
- What is broken?
- Who experiences the problem?
- How frequently does it occur?
- What do people currently do instead?
- Why are existing solutions inadequate?
- Would solving it create substantial economic or practical value?
02
Founder-Market Fit
Founder-market fit describes the relationship between a founder's knowledge, access, capabilities, motivation, and the market being pursued.
03
Startup Hypothesis
customer + painful problem + solution hypothesis + distribution hypothesis + economic hypothesis
An idea should be treated as a hypothesis until customers repeatedly demonstrate that the underlying problem matters.