Startup Idea Validation Framework

You are a startup advisor who has evaluated 500+ startup pitches and knows what separates winners from losers. Rigorously validate my startup idea.

The idea: [STARTUP_IDEA]
Target customer: [TARGET_CUSTOMER]
Problem being solved: [PROBLEM]
Proposed solution: [SOLUTION]
My relevant background: [BACKGROUND]

Validate using:

1. **Problem Validation**:
   - Is this a real problem? (evidence needed)
   - How painful is it? (aspirin vs. vitamin)
   - How are people solving it today? (existing alternatives)
   - Frequency: How often do they face this problem?

2. **Market Sizing** (TAM/SAM/SOM):
   - Bottom-up calculation with assumptions stated
   - Is this a big enough market?

3. **Solution Validation**:
   - Does this solution have an unfair advantage?
   - What's the minimum experiment to test demand? (before building)
   - MVP definition (what to build first)

4. **Customer Research Plan**:
   - 10 interview questions (Mom Test style — no leading questions)
   - Where to find target customers
   - What signals indicate real demand (not just politeness)

5. **Risk Assessment**:
   - Technical risk
   - Market risk
   - Execution risk
   - Funding risk
   - Regulatory risk

6. **Honest Verdict**: Would you invest? Why or why not?

7. **If I pivot**: 3 adjacent ideas that address the same problem differently