If you get 10 business ideas a week but don’t trust any of them, here’s how to validate those startup ideas.
Over the last year, I’ve used online tools like ChatGPT to validate (and reject) dozens of SaaS and microstartup ideas before writing a single line of code. This isn’t some hypothetical blog post — it’s the actual framework I use at Pixelswithin to evaluate whether an idea is desirable, doable, and worth my time as a solo founder.
This is AI-backed product thinking, not just listicles and hype.
🧠 Step 1: I Ask AI to Talk Me Out of the Idea — From Every Angle
Before anything, I run my idea through two filters:
- CARVER matrix: Desirability vs Doability (scored 1–5 each)
- Executive personas: “What would the skeptical CTO say? The CFO? The CMO?”
My CARVER matrix (yes, I actually score it):
| Factor | Question I Ask Myself | Score 1–5 |
|---|---|---|
| Desirability | Would someone want this today? | ? |
| Doability | Can I build and support this solo? | ? |
If it’s not at least a 6+ total, I toss it.
Then I ask ChatGPT:
“Act like a CTO. What are the technical risks, stack limitations, or dev headaches I’m overlooking?”
“Act like a CMO. Why won’t this positioning land with users?”
“Act like a CFO. Why is this a weak business model?”
⚠️ These role-based critiques surface problems fast — ones I’d never think of on my own.
🧠 Step 2: I Ask for “Eclectic Sticky” Variants — Not Safe Ones
I’ve learned not to ask AI for “good” ideas. I ask for eclectic sticky ones.
My go-to prompt:
“Give me 7 weird, emotionally-charged, sticky variants of this product. The kind people text their friends about even if they don’t use it.”
Then I say:
“Make them unexpected but still shippable by one person. No AI marketplace clones or dashboards for dentists.”
I’m looking for things with:
- ✨ Specific use cases
- 🧠 Unique vibes or emotional angles
- 📦 Feature sets that are tiny, but whole
💡 Hyper-specific trick I use:
I go to Reddit (like r/witchcraft, r/femalefounders, or r/adhdwomen) and copy real rants or unmet needs. I paste them into ChatGPT and ask:
“Which of these sticky variants would make this person feel seen?”
“Which idea would get this commenter to tag a friend?”
If it doesn’t hit that nerve? It’s not sticky enough.
🧠 Step 3: I Build Out the ICP in Public with AI — Not a Landing Page
I don’t spin up a website. I go deep into customer archetypes.
I use ChatGPT to:
- Simulate voice and needs of 3–5 “dream users”
- Write sample DMs they’d send asking about the tool
- Give me a narrative of how they discovered the product and told their group chat
- Map out day-in-the-life use cases with screenshots I haven’t even designed yet
These fictional-but-accurate voices become my filters for:
- Whether the idea is truly niche
- Whether the solution feels empowering or patronizing
- Whether I would want to talk to this customer every day for 3 years
🧠 Step 4: I Test for a “Double Handshake” Pricing Model
I don’t ask GPT for pricing tiers. I ask it to help me find pricing signals.
Specifically, I use this idea:
A “double handshake” means the pricing feels obvious to both me and the buyer — without negotiation.
I test for:
- Whether the value is immediate and self-justifying
- Whether the price aligns with the way my target user already spends
- What emotional outcome they’re buying access to, not just features
Example:
For Cute Tarot, AI helped me realize people weren’t paying for readings — they were paying for a daily moment of reflection that felt real. That reframed my pricing to be about frequency, not accuracy.
🧠 Step 5: I Drop the Idea into Reddit and See Who Reacts
No surveys. No cold emails. No forms.
I just complain on Reddit.
Seriously. I go into a relevant subreddit (e.g. r/Startups, r/witchcraft, r/solopreneurs) and say:
“Anyone else annoyed by how hard it is to do X?”
“Has anyone tried to solve [problem]? What tools have you found?”
I don’t pitch. I observe.
- If people commiserate, I know there’s shared frustration.
- If people drop links, I study the competitors they link to.
- If the thread dies, I move on.
Then I bring those insights back into GPT and say:
“How would this product need to be positioned to feel radically better than the tools mentioned here?”
✅ Summary: The Pixelswithin AI Validation Framework
| Step | What I Actually Do | AI’s Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. CARVER + Exec View | Score ideas + challenge each seat | Raise blind spots |
| 2. Eclectic Variants | Prompt for sticky + emotional angles | Reveal true resonance |
| 3. Fictional ICPs | Simulate the “fan” user | Build from the user inward |
| 4. Double Handshake | Pricing alignment check | Align value and spend habits |
| 5. Reddit Radar | Complain in public | Detect if others light up or shrug |
Why This Works
This framework is fast, intuitive, and emotionally honest. You can validate your startup idea with AI — you don’t need paid traffic, fake surveys, or 30-page business plans. It helps me:
- Kill 8 bad ideas before I waste a weekend
- Turn 1 into a concept I’m proud to build
- Skip generic “what if” thinking and go straight to: does this resonate or not?
If you want to borrow my prompts, steal my worksheets, or have me walk through your idea with you — that’s literally what I built Pixelswithin for.
Product thinking isn’t just about UX.
It’s about protecting your life energy as a solo founder.
Leave a Reply