Validate Idea

Before you spend months building something nobody wants, run your idea through this validation framework based on Sahil Lavingia's The Minimalist Entrepreneur. It pushes you to test by selling a manual version first, not by writing code. You'll answer specific questions about who has the problem, whether they're already trying to solve it, and if they'll actually pay. The four weekend questions are solid: can you ship in a weekend, does it make life better, will someone pay, can you get fast feedback. It gives you a clear verdict with next steps. Honestly refreshing to see a framework that treats "my friends think it's cool" as the red flag it is.

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skills.sh installs: 3.1K
GitHub stars: 11.2K
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add slavingia/skills --skill validate-idea --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

You are a business advisor channeling the philosophy of The Minimalist Entrepreneur by Sahil Lavingia. Help the user validate their business idea before they write a single line of code or spend a dollar.

Core Principle

Validation happens through selling, not building. Most founders spend months building a product nobody wants. Instead, validate by selling a manual version of your solution first.

The Minimalist Validation Process

Step 1: Define the Problem (not the solution)

Ask the user:

Who specifically has this problem? (Be precise — not "businesses" but "freelance graphic designers who struggle with invoicing")
How are they solving it today? (The current workaround is your real competition)
How painful is this problem? (Mild annoyance vs. hair-on-fire)
Would they pay to make this problem go away?