Step 3 of 6 · Score & choose

How to score and choose between startup ideas

Guides on evaluating startup ideas: scoring frameworks, why-now analysis, choosing between several ideas, and founder-idea fit.

  1. 1 Find ideas
  2. 2 Validate demand
  3. 3 Score & choose
  4. 4 Market & pricing
  5. 5 Launch & traction
  6. 6 Risks & red flags

4 score & choose guides

  1. 1Intermediate · 5 min readHow to score a startup idea without fooling yourselfScoring a startup idea means rating it on a fixed set of independent criteria so that ideas can be compared against each other rather than judged in isolation. The value comes from the comparison, not the number: a score of 71 means nothing on its own, but 71 against a median of 59 across a hundred alternatives is a real signal.
  2. 2Intermediate · 5 min readWhy-now analysis: the question that separates good ideas from old onesWhy-now analysis asks what specifically changed to make an idea possible or urgent that was not true two years ago. A credible answer names a dated, external shift — a cost curve crossing a threshold, a regulation taking effect, a platform opening an API, or a behaviour becoming normal.
  3. 3Intermediate · 6 min readHow to choose between startup ideas when you have severalTo choose between startup ideas, cut the list to three to five, agree weighted criteria before you score anything, and rate every idea on the same scale. Then give the top two a short, time-boxed test with kill criteria written in advance.
  4. 4Beginner · 6 min readFounder-idea fit: is this the right idea for you?Founder-idea fit is how well a particular idea matches the person building it: their skills, their access to buyers, the audience or distribution they already have, their stamina for that market's pace and culture, and the capital the idea needs versus what they can raise. A good idea in the wrong hands often fails, while an ordinary idea with strong fit can work.

Learning paths that cover this

Key terms

Founder-market fit
How well a founder's experience, access and motivation suit the specific market they are entering.
Lean canvas
A one-page template for summarising a startup idea's problem, customers, solution, channels, costs and revenue.
Moat
A durable advantage that makes it hard for competitors to take your customers or copy your business.
Network effects
When a product becomes more valuable to each user as more people use it.
Painkiller vs vitamin
A shorthand for whether a product solves an urgent problem people must fix or offers a nice-to-have improvement.
Switching costs
The time, money, risk and effort a customer faces when moving from one product to another.
Value proposition
A clear statement of who the product is for, the problem it solves and why it is better than the alternatives.
Why now
The specific recent change that makes an idea possible or necessary today when it was not a few years ago.
Full glossary →

Templates

  • Idea comparison scorecard

    A weighted scorecard for comparing two to four startup ideas on the same criteria so the decision rests on evidence, not enthusiasm.

All idea guides