Mistakes Technical Founders Make With Idea Filters

Five mistakes specific to technical founders.

Mistake 1: Building Before Filtering

You filter mentally while shipping. By the time you finish, you have built. Then the filter is academic. Filter on paper before any code.

Mistake 2: Treating GitHub Stars as Buyers

Stars are not paying customers. Hacker News upvotes are not paying customers. Filter for paying intent, not engagement.

Mistake 3: "I Can Always Pivot the Tech"

True for code. Not true for distribution. Pivots from B2C to B2B kill more startups than tech rewrites.

Mistake 4: Skipping Reachability Because "It Will Go Viral"

Plan for not viral. Most things are not. Reachability is your floor.

Mistake 5: Filtering Solo

You will pass your favorites. A non-technical reviewer catches what you miss in 20 minutes.