You have an idea.
It's been nagging at you. You think about it in the shower. You sketch it on napkins. You lie awake at night planning.
But is it worth pursuing?
That's the question that keeps founders up at night. And here's the uncomfortable truth: there's no easy answer.
But there are ways to evaluate. Let me walk you through them.
The Questions That Matter
Before you invest years of your life, ask these questions:
Question 1: Are You Solving a Real Problem?
The best startups solve real problems for real people.
How do you know if it's real?
- Do people currently suffer from this problem?
- Do they actively try to solve it?
- Is the problem painful enough that they'll pay to solve it?
Red flag: If you're solving a problem that doesn't exist, or one that people don't care enough about, you're building a solution in search of a problem.
Question 2: Is the Market Big Enough?
A great solution to a tiny problem is still a tiny business.
- How many people have this problem?
- How much would they pay to solve it?
- Is the market growing or shrinking?
The rule of thumb: If you can't articulate a market of at least $100 million, be careful. Small markets are hard to build big companies in.
Question 3: Why You?
Why are you the person to solve this problem?
- Do you have unique experience?
- Do you have unique insights?
- Do you have unique connections?
- Do you have unique passion?
Red flag: If anyone could build what you're building, why should it be you?
Question 4: Is the Timing Right?
Great ideas at the wrong time fail. Average ideas at the right time succeed.
- Is the technology ready?
- Is the market ready?
- Is the culture ready?
- Are you ready?
Example: Blockchain in 2015 was early. Blockchain in 2021 was peak hype. Blockchain in 2025 is... complicated.
Question 5: Can You Build It?
This is brutal, but important: do you have the ability to build this?
- Technical skills (or ability to get them)?
- Money (or ability to raise it)?
- Time (or ability to make it)?
- Team (or ability to build one)?
Red flag: If you can't articulate how you'll actually build this, you're not ready.
Question 6: What's the Competition?
Every market has competitors. If you think you have no competitors, you haven't looked hard enough.
- Who is solving this problem today?
- Why is their solution incomplete?
- What will you do differently?
- What's your unfair advantage?
Red flag: "We have no competitors" usually means "we haven't done our research."
Question 7: What's the Business Model?
How will you make money?
- How much will you charge?
- How will customers pay?
- What's your unit economics?
- Can you acquire customers profitably?
Red flag: If you can't explain how you'll make money, you're building a hobby, not a business.
Question 8: What's the Worst Case?
What happens if this fails?
- How much money will you lose?
- How much time will you lose?
- What will you learn?
- Will you be okay?
Important: You should be able to articulate the worst case. And you should be okay with it.
The Evaluation Matrix
Here's a practical framework:
| Factor | Strong Signal | Weak Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | People actively suffer | Theoretical inconvenience |
| Market | Large, growing market | Small, shrinking market |
| Why You | Unique insight/experience | Anyone could do this |
| Timing | Market ready, tech ready | Too early or too late |
| Competition | Clear differentiation | "No competitors" claim |
| Business Model | Clear, unit-positive | Vague or negative margins |
The Honest Test
Here's the simplest test I know:
If you couldn't make money from this, would you still do it?
If the answer is yes, you're probably following passion, not opportunity. That's dangerous.
If you could only work on this for 2 years and it failed, would you regret it?
If the answer is no, it's not worth pursuing.
If someone offered you $1 million to not work on this, would you take it?
If you'd take the money, your heart's not in it.
What to Do If It's Worth Pursuing
If your idea passes these tests:
- Talk to customers. Validate that the problem is real.
- Build a prototype. Test your solution.
- Get early users. Prove demand.
- Iterate. Improve based on feedback.
- Launch. Ship it to the world.
What to Do If It's Not Worth Pursuing
If your idea doesn't pass these tests:
- Don't force it. Move on.
- Look for variation. Is there a related problem that's worth solving?
- Keep searching. The right idea will come.
- Learn from this. What did you learn about yourself and markets?
The Honest Truth
Most startup ideas are not worth pursuing. That's okay. That's normal.
The goal is not to pursue every idea. The goal is to pursue the right idea.
And finding the right idea takes time. It takes iteration. It takes research. It takes honesty with yourself.
The Bottom Line
Here's the uncomfortable truth: only you can answer this question.
- You know your situation.
- You know your resources.
- You know your risk tolerance.
- You know your passion.
No one else can tell you if your idea is worth pursuing.
But you can do the work to evaluate it. You can ask the hard questions. You can be honest with yourself.
And if you decide it's worth pursuing: go all in.
Because a thoroughly evaluated idea, pursued with commitment, is far more likely to succeed than a half-hearted passion project.
Need Help Evaluating Your Idea?
At Startupbricks, we've helped hundreds of founders evaluate their ideas—sometimes validating them, sometimes helping them move on. Whether you need:
- An honest assessment of your idea
- Help with customer validation
- Guidance on market research
- A partner to think through it with
Let's talk. We help founders find the right path—wherever it leads.