What you said
Personal experience / domain expertise only. No customer interviews or survey data.
Why it matters
Without direct evidence that your target customers experience this problem acutely, you risk
building a solution nobody needs. This is the #1 cause of startup failure.
What's missing
Structured customer interviews, survey data, or measurable demand signals (waitlist,
pre-orders).
Problem Discovery Sprint
Duration: 5 days
Success metric: ≥ 7 out of 10 interviewees score the problem ≥ 4/5
- Identify 10 potential ICP contacts via LinkedIn or warm intros
- Schedule 30-minute calls using a structured interview script
- Ask about current pain, alternatives used, and willingness to pay
- Document patterns and rank problem severity
- Score each interview on the "hair-on-fire" scale (1–5)
Go: 7+ confirm
Iterate: 4–6 confirm
Kill: < 4 confirm
What you said
"I haven't calculated this yet."
Why it matters
Without gross margin clarity, you cannot price correctly, forecast profitability, or
determine if
the business model is viable at scale.
What's missing
Cost-to-deliver analysis, realistic COGS breakdown, and margin benchmarking against industry
norms.
Unit Economics Mapping
Duration: 3 days
Success metric: Gross margin ≥ 60% (software) or ≥ 40% (services)
- List every cost component to deliver your product to one customer
- Categorize as fixed vs. variable cost
- Calculate gross margin at current pricing
- Compare against SaaS benchmarks (70%+ for software)
- Identify the top 2 cost levers you can optimize
Go: Margin passes benchmark
Iterate: Within 10% of target
Kill: Fundamentally unprofitable
14-Day Action Plan
1
Validate Problem-Solution Fit
Conduct 5 structured customer discovery interviews using the Mom Test framework. Focus on
understanding current alternatives and willingness to switch.
Days 1–5
2
Test Pricing Willingness
Create a simple landing page with pricing tiers. Drive 100 targeted visitors through a
micro-campaign and measure click-through to "Sign Up".
Days 5–10
3
Map Unit Economics
Build a simple spreadsheet model with realistic CAC, LTV, and gross margin assumptions.
Identify the minimum viable scale for profitability.
Days 10–14
This is an example report for illustration purposes. Start the diagnostic to generate your
personalized
gap analysis.
