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Agent skill

Idea Validator

by Mathews-Tom in Mathews-Tom/armory

Orchestrates business idea validation via parallel sub-agents: Lean Canvas, JTBD, market/competitive/feasibility research, SWOT/PESTLE, and a weighted scorecard with verdict.

MITAuto-check passedProduct & Project Management

Install Idea Validator

skills CLI
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill idea-validator -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory idea-validator --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/idea-validator .claude/skills/idea-validator && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
idea-validator
GitHub stars
327
Token cost
~2.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,119 words
Files
6 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
80
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Orchestrates business idea validation via parallel sub-agents: Lean Canvas, JTBD, market/competitive/feasibility research, SWOT/PESTLE, and a weighted scorecard with verdict.

  • Works in 7 steps: Input Intake & Classification → Lean Canvas Construction → Jobs-to-be-Done Analysis → …
  • : validate this idea
  • SKILL.md covers Purpose, Phase 1: Input Intake &…, Phase 2: Lean Canvas… and Phase 3: Jobs-to-be-Done…, plus 5 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Idea Validator is an agent skill from Mathews-Tom/armory. Orchestrates business idea validation via parallel sub-agents: Lean Canvas, JTBD, market/competitive/feasibility research, SWOT/PESTLE, and a weighted scorecard with verdict. Triggers on: "validate this idea", "evaluate my startup idea", "is this idea worth pursuing", "score this business idea", "validate my pitch".

Its SKILL.md is about 2.9k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 7 other files, including reference files (for example `evals/cases.yaml`, `references/jtbd-framework.md` and `references/lean-canvas.md`).

It sits in Product & Project Management, covering Startup and business strategy, Product strategy and User stories. The repository describes itself as: Curated, production-grade skills for AI coding agents. Battle-tested workflows for developers who use AI seriously. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • : validate this idea
  • Evaluate my startup idea
  • Is this idea worth pursuing
  • Score this business idea

Example prompts

  • “validate this idea”
  • “evaluate my startup idea”
  • “is this idea worth pursuing”
  • “/idea-validator”

Workflow steps

7 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Input Intake & Classification
  2. Lean Canvas Construction
  3. Jobs-to-be-Done Analysis
  4. Parallel Research Delegation
  5. SWOT/PESTLE Integration
  6. Integrated Validation Scoring
  7. Report Generation

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4594fb7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Idea Validator loads about 2.9k tokens when it runs, and up to ~15k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 83 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,119 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~83
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.9k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~15k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from Mathews-Tom/armory at commit 4594fb7, republished under its MIT licence (© Mathews-Tom). 1,119 words, ~2,903 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/idea-validator/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 5 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
idea-validator
description
Orchestrates business idea validation via parallel sub-agents: Lean Canvas, JTBD, market/competitive/feasibility research, SWOT/PESTLE, and a weighted scorecard with verdict. Triggers on: "validate this idea", "evaluate my startup idea", "is this idea worth pursuing", "score this business idea", "validate my pitch".
metadata.version
1.0.1
metadata.complements
market-analyzer, competitive-analyzer, feasibility-assessor
metadata.category
review
metadata.tags
idea-validation, lean-canvas, jtbd, swot
metadata.difficulty
advanced
metadata.phase
define

Business Idea Validator

Purpose

Perform rigorous, multi-dimensional validation of business ideas by orchestrating parallel research and synthesizing findings into a scored, actionable report. The goal is honest assessment — surfacing what holds up under scrutiny and what does not — rather than cheerleading or reflexive dismissal.

Phase 1: Input Intake & Classification

Classify the input:

Input TypeIndicatorsAdaptation
Elevator pitch1-3 sentences, informalExtract hypothesis, ask for missing details
Business planStructured, multiple sectionsValidate claims against research
Feature proposalTechnical focus, existing product contextNarrow scope to feature viability
Repo/codebaseFile paths, code referencesTechnical feasibility + market fit
Pivot assessment"Should we pivot to...", comparison contextCompare current vs proposed direction

Extract core elements from the input:

  • Problem statement — what pain point exists
  • Proposed solution — how it addresses the pain
  • Target customer — who experiences this problem
  • Value proposition — why this solution over alternatives
  • Revenue model — how it generates money

If any core element is missing or ambiguous, ask clarifying questions. Cap at 5 questions. Do not proceed with fabricated assumptions for missing elements — get real answers.

Phase 2: Lean Canvas Construction

Build a complete Lean Canvas using references/lean-canvas.md as the framework guide.

Populate all 9 boxes:

  1. Problem — top 3 problems the customer faces
  2. Customer Segments — target market + early adopter profile
  3. Unique Value Proposition — single clear compelling message
  4. Solution — top 3 features addressing the top 3 problems
  5. Channels — path to reaching customers
  6. Revenue Streams — pricing model and revenue mechanics
  7. Cost Structure — fixed and variable costs
  8. Key Metrics — what to measure for progress
  9. Unfair Advantage — what cannot be easily copied or bought

For each box:

  • Assess completeness and specificity
  • Flag vague entries ("everyone" as a segment, "best product" as UVP)
  • Check cross-box coherence (solution must address stated problems, channels must reach stated segments)

Phase 3: Jobs-to-be-Done Analysis

Apply the JTBD framework from references/jtbd-framework.md:

  • Functional job — what is the customer trying to accomplish?
  • Emotional job — how do they want to feel?
  • Social job — how do they want to be perceived?
  • Current solutions — what do they use today? (hiring/firing decisions)
  • Switching triggers — what would cause adoption of a new solution?

Assess whether the proposed solution addresses the core job better than current alternatives. Identify the four forces of progress: push of current situation, pull of new solution, anxiety of change, habit of status quo.

Phase 4: Parallel Research Delegation

Use the Agent tool to spawn three research agents in parallel. Each agent receives a focused research brief derived from the idea context established in Phases 1-3. These agents perform the same analysis covered by the complementary skills (market-analyzer, competitive-analyzer, feasibility-assessor) — when those skills are installed, their reference frameworks inform the analysis depth; when running standalone, the agents use the inline briefs below.

Agent 1 — Market Research

Prompt the agent:

Analyze the market opportunity for [idea summary with target customer and problem context]. Research TAM/SAM/SOM estimates, market growth trends, customer segment sizing, and timing signals. Use WebSearch to find industry reports, market data, analyst projections, and trend indicators. Produce a structured market analysis with quantified estimates and cited sources. Include: market size estimates with methodology, growth rate and trajectory, key market drivers, timing assessment (too early, right time, too late), and customer willingness to pay signals.

Agent 2 — Competitive Analysis

Prompt the agent:

Analyze the competitive landscape for [idea summary with solution and value proposition context]. Discover direct competitors (same solution, same customer), indirect competitors (different solution, same job-to-be-done), and potential competitors (adjacent players who could enter). Compare features, pricing, and positioning across competitors. Assess Porter's Five Forces for this industry. Identify moats and defensibility factors. Use WebSearch for competitor data from Product Hunt, G2, Capterra, Crunchbase, and company sites. Produce a structured competitive analysis with competitor matrix, force scores, and positioning assessment.

Show full SKILL.md (493 more words)Show less
Agent 3 — Feasibility Assessment

Prompt the agent:

Assess the financial and technical feasibility of [idea summary with solution details and revenue model]. Calculate unit economics using industry benchmarks: customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), LTV:CAC ratio, gross margins, payback period. Evaluate technical complexity: architecture requirements, key technical risks, build vs buy decisions, infrastructure needs. Estimate build timeline and team composition for MVP and v1. Use WebSearch for comparable company benchmarks, SaaS metrics benchmarks, and technical stack assessments. Produce a structured feasibility report with financial projections, technical risk matrix, and resource requirements.

Wait for all three agents to return results before proceeding.

Phase 5: SWOT/PESTLE Integration

Using the combined outputs from Phases 2-4, construct both analyses per references/swot-pestle.md.

SWOT Analysis
  • Strengths — internal advantages, unique capabilities, resource advantages
  • Weaknesses — internal gaps, resource constraints, skill deficiencies
  • Opportunities — external factors favoring success (market trends, regulatory changes, technology shifts)
  • Threats — external factors risking failure (competitive moves, market shifts, regulatory risks)

Derive strategy implications: SO strategies (use strengths to capture opportunities), WO strategies (address weaknesses to unlock opportunities), ST strategies (use strengths to counter threats), WT strategies (minimize weaknesses and avoid threats).

PESTLE Scan

Assess macro-environment factors:

  • Political — regulation, government policy, trade restrictions, political stability
  • Economic — market conditions, funding environment, consumer spending, interest rates
  • Social — demographic trends, cultural shifts, consumer behavior changes
  • Technological — tech maturity, disruption potential, infrastructure readiness
  • Legal — IP protection, compliance requirements, liability exposure, licensing
  • Environmental — sustainability pressures, resource constraints, ESG expectations

Prioritize factors by impact and likelihood. Feed high-impact factors into SWOT external quadrants.

Phase 6: Integrated Validation Scoring

Score across 6 dimensions using references/validation-scoring.md:

DimensionWeightScore RangePrimary Sources
Problem-Solution Fit25%1-5Lean Canvas, JTBD
Market Opportunity20%1-5Market Research Agent
Competitive Position15%1-5Competitive Analysis Agent
Financial Viability20%1-5Feasibility Agent
Technical Feasibility10%1-5Feasibility Agent
Timing & Environment10%1-5PESTLE, Market Research

Compute weighted overall score. Map to verdict:

  • 4.0-5.0: Strong — pursue aggressively, competitive advantage is clear
  • 3.0-3.9: Promising — proceed with targeted validation of key assumptions
  • 2.0-2.9: Risky — significant concerns must be addressed before investment
  • 1.0-1.9: Weak — fundamental issues present, consider pivot or abandon

Identify any red flags that override scores (legal impossibility, ethical concerns, physical impossibility). A single critical red flag can downgrade the verdict regardless of score.

Assess confidence level: how certain are the inputs driving each score? Flag dimensions where data is thin or speculative.

Phase 7: Report Generation

Produce the final validation report in this structure:

markdown
# Business Idea Validation Report

## Meta

| Field         | Value                                                     |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Date          | YYYY-MM-DD                                                |
| Input Type    | [elevator pitch / business plan / feature / repo / pivot] |
| Overall Score | X.X / 5.0                                                 |
| Verdict       | [Strong / Promising / Risky / Weak]                       |

## Executive Summary

[3-5 sentences: what the idea is, the key finding, the main risk, the recommendation]

## Lean Canvas

[Completed canvas with assessment notes per box]

## Problem-Solution Fit

[JTBD analysis, switching triggers, current alternatives, fit assessment]

## Market Opportunity

[TAM/SAM/SOM, growth trends, timing assessment — from market research agent]

## Competitive Landscape

[Competitor matrix, Porter's Five Forces, positioning — from competitive agent]

## Financial & Technical Feasibility

[Unit economics, build estimate, risk scores — from feasibility agent]

## SWOT Analysis

[4-quadrant analysis with strategy implications]

## PESTLE Scan

[Macro environment factors prioritized by impact]

## Validation Scorecard

[6 dimensions with scores, weights, justification, confidence levels]

## Red Flags

[Ranked list of critical concerns that could invalidate the idea]

## Recommended Validation Experiments

[Ordered by: cheapest test of riskiest assumption]

1. [Experiment] — tests [assumption] — cost: [effort/money] — timeline: [days]
2. ...

## What Survives Scrutiny

[Honest assessment of what holds up after thorough analysis]

Constraints

  • Do not fabricate market data. If research agents cannot find reliable data, state the gap and assign lower confidence to affected scores.
  • Do not inflate scores to be encouraging. The value of this analysis is honesty.
  • Do not present opinions as facts. Distinguish between data-backed findings and analytical judgments.
  • When the idea addresses a real problem with a defensible solution and favorable timing, say so clearly. Honest assessment works in both directions.
  • Keep the report actionable. Every section should inform a decision or an experiment.

© Mathews-Tom, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 5 other files (references) in skills/idea-validator of Mathews-Tom/armory.

  • SKILL.md
  • evals/cases.yaml
  • references/jtbd-framework.md
  • references/lean-canvas.md
  • references/swot-pestle.md
  • references/validation-scoring.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4594fb7

Compare with similar skills

Idea Validator next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Idea Validator compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Idea Validator this skillMathews-Tom/armory327—~2.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
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Good Strategy Bad Strategy Kernelamplitude/builder-skills159—~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Playing to Win Strategyamplitude/builder-skills159—~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Business Modelphuryn/pm-skills27k—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Biz Blue Oceanasgard-ai-platform/skills241—~2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Idea Validator

What does Idea Validator do?

Orchestrates business idea validation via parallel sub-agents: Lean Canvas, JTBD, market/competitive/feasibility research, SWOT/PESTLE, and a weighted scorecard with verdict. Idea Validator is an agent skill from Mathews-Tom/armory. Orchestrates business idea validation via parallel sub-agents: Lean Canvas, JTBD, market/competitive/feasibility research, SWOT/PESTLE, and a weighted scorecard with verdict.

When should I use Idea Validator?

Idea Validator fits situations like: : validate this idea; evaluate my startup idea; is this idea worth pursuing; score this business idea.

How do I install Idea Validator in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill idea-validator -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/idea-validator in Mathews-Tom/armory) into .claude/skills/idea-validator in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Idea Validator in Codex?

Run `npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill idea-validator -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/idea-validator in Mathews-Tom/armory) into .agents/skills/idea-validator in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Idea Validator in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill idea-validator -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/idea-validator, .gemini/skills/idea-validator, .github/skills/idea-validator and .opencode/skills/idea-validator in your project.

What does Idea Validator need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Idea Validator is instructions for the agent only.

Does Idea Validator access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Idea Validator safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Idea Validator use?

Idea Validator is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Idea Validator use?

About 2.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 12k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 12k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Idea Validator?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Idea Validator: Create Business (wondelai/skills, 2.4k stars), Good Strategy Bad Strategy Kernel (amplitude/builder-skills, 159 stars), Playing to Win Strategy (amplitude/builder-skills, 159 stars) and Business Model (phuryn/pm-skills, 27k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Idea Validator?

Mathews-Tom (a GitHub user) maintains it in Mathews-Tom/armory, which has 327 GitHub stars. The repository holds 80 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 6, 2026.

Source: Mathews-Tom/armory on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.