# 🟢 SaaS Idea Validation Checklist

*Eight stages for testing a SaaS idea before you write a line of code. Each stage can kill the idea, and that's the point.*

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## How to use this template in Notion

**Option 1 — Copy/paste:** Select all the content below the "How to use" section, paste into a new Notion page. Notion will auto-convert checkboxes, headings, and quote blocks.

**Option 2 — Import as file:** In Notion, go to *Settings → Import → Markdown & CSV* and upload this `.md` file directly.

**How to work the checklist:** Tick items as you finish them. When a stage's *KILL IF* condition is met, stop and move to a different idea. Only proceed to building after you've passed every stage.

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## Stage 1: Gut Check
*Time: ~1–2 hours*

- [ ] Write the idea in one sentence: "I'm building X for Y so they can Z"
- [ ] Write the problem in one sentence without mentioning your solution
- [ ] Name 3 specific people who have this problem (actual humans, not "small businesses")
- [ ] Would you personally pay for this? If no, why do you think others will?
- [ ] Is this a vitamin (nice to have) or a painkiller (urgent)?

> ⚠️ **KILL IF:** Can't name 3 real people with the problem, or it's clearly a vitamin.

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## Stage 2: Problem Validation via AI Research
*Time: ~3–5 days*

- [ ] Scrape 100+ complaints from Reddit, G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, X about the problem or competitors
- [ ] Cluster complaints by frequency. What comes up 10+ times?
- [ ] Extract exact phrases users use (save these for copy later)
- [ ] Identify current workarounds (spreadsheets, manual work, duct-taped tools)
- [ ] Find the trigger event. What makes someone search for a solution?
- [ ] Document who is *not* complaining (segments where the problem doesn't exist)

> ⚠️ **KILL IF:** Fewer than 20 genuine complaints found, or no clear workarounds (means people don't care enough to try solving it).

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## Stage 3: Market & Demand Signals
*Time: ~2–3 days*

- [ ] Google Trends: is the problem trending up, flat, or down over 5 years?
- [ ] Keyword research: search volume for problem-related terms (Ahrefs / SEMrush free tools)
- [ ] Are competitors growing? Check LinkedIn hiring, Crunchbase funding, SimilarWeb traffic
- [ ] Has VC money flowed into this category in the last 2 years?
- [ ] Are there adjacent regulatory, platform, or tech shifts making the problem bigger?
- [ ] TAM estimate: realistic businesses × realistic price × realistic capture %

> ⚠️ **KILL IF:** Flat/declining trends, no search volume, dying category, or TAM under $10M realistic capture.

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## Stage 4: Competitive Teardown
*Time: ~2–3 days*

- [ ] List all direct competitors (10+ if possible)
- [ ] List indirect competitors and substitutes (including "do nothing" and spreadsheets)
- [ ] Map pricing models and price points
- [ ] Read their negative reviews. What do users hate?
- [ ] Identify the underserved segment (too small, too technical, wrong geography, wrong price tier)
- [ ] Find your specific positioning angle in one sentence

> ⚠️ **KILL IF:** No clear positioning gap, or the gap exists because it's economically unviable.

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## Stage 5: Solution & Economics Sanity Check
*Time: ~2–3 days*

- [ ] Sketch the MVP: the smallest version that delivers the core value
- [ ] Estimate time to build MVP honestly (then double it)
- [ ] Estimate infra cost per user at 100, 1k, 10k users
- [ ] Pick a pricing model and price point based on competitor data
- [ ] Estimate CAC based on competitor ad costs and category benchmarks
- [ ] Model: at what customer count are you profitable? Realistic in 12–18 months?
- [ ] Red team it: prompt AI for 20 reasons this fails, then address the top 5

> ⚠️ **KILL IF:** Unit economics require 2× industry-benchmark performance to work, or payback period >18 months SMB / >24 months enterprise.

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## Stage 6: Pre-Build Market Test
*Time: ~1–2 weeks · Budget: $300–500*

- [ ] Build a landing page with clear value prop, pricing, and a real CTA
- [ ] CTA signal strength (strongest first): paid pre-order, deposit, book a call, email waitlist
- [ ] Write 3–5 ad variants using language pulled from Stage 2
- [ ] Run targeted ads (Meta, Google, LinkedIn, Reddit) driving 500–1000 visitors
- [ ] Track: click-through rate, landing page conversion, CTA conversion
- [ ] Post in 2–3 relevant communities (carefully, no spam)

> 🎯 **SUCCESS BENCHMARKS:**
> - Landing → CTA: >3% is promising, >7% is strong
> - Paid pre-orders or deposits: even 5–10 is a real signal
> - Email-only waitlists: discount heavily, mostly noise

> ⚠️ **KILL IF:** <1% conversion after 1000 targeted visitors, zero paid commitments.

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## Stage 7: Qualitative Contact
*Optional*

- [ ] 10–15 conversations with people who signed up or fit the ICP
- [ ] Ask about the problem, not the solution
- [ ] Ask what they currently do, what they've paid for, and what made them stop

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## Stage 8: Build Decision
*Go / no-go*

Only proceed to building if all of the following are true:

- [ ] Stages 1–5 all passed their kill criteria
- [ ] Stage 6 showed real conversion signal (not just vanity emails)
- [ ] You can articulate in one paragraph: who it's for, what problem, why now, why you, why this won't get crushed by a competitor
- [ ] You have budget/runway for 6 months of building + 6 months of distribution

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> 💡 **Meta-rule:** At every stage, be more excited about **kill criteria** than success criteria. Killing a bad idea in week 2 is a massive win. Building the wrong thing for 6 months is the actual worst outcome, not "not shipping."

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