Playbook · Founders and anyone with an idea they can't stop thinking about
Stress-test a startup idea
An honest read on an idea before you spend months on it: the riskiest assumptions, who else is doing it, and the cheapest test that would prove you wrong.
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Level
- No setup skills needed
- Best in
- ClaudeChatGPTGeminiClaude Code
- You need
- Web search switched on in your AI
Try it right now
ExampleA subscription for refurbished school uniforms
“Stress-test this: a subscription that swaps outgrown school uniforms for refurbished ones in the right size. What would have to be true for it to work, who does this already, and how would I test demand in a week?”
You get
- Five ranked assumptions
- Existing players and their prices, linked
- A one-week demand test with a stop rule
Get questioned, not flattered
Tell the AI to challenge the idea. Ask it to name the assumptions that, if wrong, kill it.
“Here's my idea: [idea]. Don't encourage me. List the five assumptions it depends on, rank them by risk, and tell me what evidence would change your mind.”
Pick one — 2 that help
You getYour riskiest assumptions, ranked
See who is already doing it
Search the market with sources. If nobody is doing it, ask why not — there is often a reason.
“Who is already solving this? What do they charge, and why might nobody have done exactly this yet?”
Helps with this step
You getThe competitive field, with the 'why hasn't anyone done this' question answered
Design the cheapest test
Turn the riskiest assumption into a test you can run this week — a landing page, ten conversations, a pre-order.
“Design the cheapest experiment that tests assumption #1 in under a week. What result would mean stop?”
You getOne experiment, with a clear pass/fail line
Before you rely on it
- An AI can't tell you whether people will pay. Only customers can — the test step is the point.
- Market-size figures online are often untraceable; ask for the method behind any number.
Written by Launch7 from each capability’s own documentation. Launch7 has not yet run this playbook end to end. Each linked page shows what that piece can touch and how to add it to your AI.