Spoke · Updated May 2026 · 8 min read

Startup validation checklist

27 items across 5 pillars. Score yourself. 20+ = build. 15–19 = re-validate the gaps. Below 15 = still hypothesis.

How to use this

Print it, paste it into your notes, or run through it during your next strategy hour. For each item, ask yourself: can I name the specific evidence? Vague memory of a Reddit thread doesn't count. A spreadsheet row, a transcript quote, a screenshot, a saved email — that counts.

Items you can't check are not failures. They're your validation roadmap. Each unchecked item is one customer conversation, one cited source, or one channel test away from being checked. The point of the checklist isn't to feel good — it's to make the gaps explicit.

The two pillars founders consistently over-score are Problem and Market. The two they consistently under-score are Willingness to Pay and Go-to-Market. If your scores look the opposite, you're either uniquely well-prepared or quietly fooling yourself — and which one is true is exactly what the checklist will tell you.

1. Problem

I can describe the problem in one sentence without using the word "platform" or "solution".

I have heard 5+ specific real humans describe this problem in their own unprompted words.

I can name a specific moment in the last 30 days when each of those humans hit the problem.

I know what each of them does today as a workaround (tool, process, ignoring it).

The pain is real enough that they are spending time or money on the workaround.

2. Customer

I can describe my ICP in 15 words including a job title or role and a specific context.

I have a written list of 30 prospects fitting that ICP — by name and contact.

I know where to find the next 100 like them (subreddit, LinkedIn search, Slack, conference list).

I have talked to 10+ of those prospects in the last 30 days, not via survey but in conversation.

I know who in their org makes the buying decision (themselves, manager, procurement, IT).

3. Market

I have a defensible TAM number with cited sources (not "$50B AI market").

I have a SAM number narrow enough that I can plausibly reach the first 1,000 buyers.

I have a SOM target for year 1 that's less than 5% of SAM.

I know the top 5–10 actual competitors by name (not "AI tools generally").

I can articulate one specific reason a buyer would pick me over each top 3 competitor.

4. Willingness to pay

Prospects have told me what they currently spend (in money or hours) on the workaround.

I have asked at least 5 prospects what they'd pay and gotten a number, not a "depends".

At least one prospect has put down real commitment: deposit, calendar slot, intro to budget owner.

My pricing is anchored to a specific buyer category, not a "price ladder for everyone".

I know whose budget the money comes from (line item, not personal credit card).

5. Go-to-market

I can describe my acquisition channel in one sentence with a specific source.

I have evidence that channel works (clicks, signups, intros, replies — something measurable).

My CAC estimate is based on a real number from at least one channel test.

My LTV/CAC math is plausible — not "we'll figure it out at scale".

I have at least one path to 10 new customers per month that doesn't require paid ads.

I have a clear "no" — a customer segment I will not serve and won't take money from.

I have a written 90-day plan with three weekly milestones I would actually be embarrassed to miss.

How to score yourself

20+ / 27

Build it

Strong evidence across all pillars. Ship the smallest version that delivers the core promise.

15–19 / 27

Wait + fix

Most pillars are real, one is weak. Identify the weak pillar and run validation on it specifically.

< 15 / 27

Still hypothesis

The idea is interesting but not validated. Don't code yet — talk to 20 prospects first.

Score this checklist in 30 minutes

GoNoGo runs a structured voice session that surfaces exactly which of these items you've already validated and which are still hypothesis. The output is a written report you can map directly back to this 27-item list.

Run my validation →

Free · No credit card · up to 25 reports

Frequently asked questions

How many items do I need to check off before I should build?+

Aim for 20+ of 27, with at least 3 of 5 in every pillar. Hitting 27 is rare and usually means you waited too long. Hitting fewer than 15 means the idea is still hypothesis, not validated. The two pillars that most often fail are willingness-to-pay and go-to-market — founders over-validate problem severity and skip these.

Can I just validate the highest-priority items and skip the rest?+

Yes, but be honest about what you skipped. Each item exists because someone's startup died because they ignored it. If you skip "named 5 specific people" because you have 50 anonymous email signups, you're skipping the part that matters. Skip items deliberately — not because they're uncomfortable to answer.

How long does running through this checklist take?+

A first pass takes 60–90 minutes (you write down what you already know). A real pass — the kind where you actually validate the items you didn't already know — takes 1–2 weeks of structured customer conversations. The checklist is the destination; the conversations are how you get there.