Where Idea Filters Break at Scale

Past v1 product, the original filter breaks predictably.

Failure Modes

• Reachability becomes trivial. You have an audience now. Every idea passes F1. Filter loses signal.
• Adjacent spend test loses bite. Once you have 100 customers, every adjacent feature "has spend."
• Three named buyers is too easy. Customers will name three for any feature you mention.
• You skip filtering because the filter is no longer selective. Then a feature gets built that no one used.

The Fix

Replace v1 filters with: customer-pull strength, infra leverage, ARR impact, brand fit. Different tool, same discipline.

When to Retire

Once your audience is real, retire v1 filters for new products. Use them only when entering brand-new categories where you have no audience.