Idea Filters: Questions to Answer Before You Ship

Eight questions. If you cannot answer them, do not ship yet.

The Eight

• Who specifically is the buyer?
• Can I name three of them today?
• How will I reach 50 of them in the next 30 days?
• What are they paying for already that this replaces?
• Is the pain weekly?
• What is the one-line description that makes them say "yes"?
• What is my goal in the first 30 days post-launch?
• Who tells me I am wrong about this idea?

If You Are Stuck

Whichever question you cannot answer is your next interview agenda. Do not write code until you can answer it.

Then Ship

With answers in hand, ship a v0.5 in two weeks. Iterate against actual usage data.