app-validationlisted

## When to Use This Skill Call this when: 1. **You have an app idea** and need confidence before 4 weeks of build time 2. **You want to avoid false starts** with market validation first 3. **You need to prioritize** which app idea to build if you have multiple 4. **You're mid-build** and getting customer feedback signals **Do NOT use this if:** - You've already shipped and have paying customers (use metrics instead) - You're in execution mode and decided to build (stay focused) --- ## The 7-Question Pre-Build Validation Framework Answer all 7 questions with your best estimate. Score each 1-5 (5 = strong yes, 1 = strong no). ### Question 1: Problem Severity (Does it hurt bad enough?) "On a scale of 1-5, how much pain do merchants have right now?" - **5:** Merchants spend 5+ hours/week on this; lose money if unsolved; manual workaround fails 50%+ of the time - **4:** Spend 2-5 hours/week; workaround exists but tedious; minor money loss - **3:** Spend <2 hours/week; annoying but manageable workaround - **2:** Nice-to-have improvement; low time cost - **1:** Merchants don't really complain about this **Validation method:** Ask 5 merchants "How many hours/week does [problem] cost you?" If 4/5 say >2 hours, you're at 4-5. **Red flag:** If score <3, problem is aspirational, not acute. Merchants won't pay. --- ### Question 2: Willingness-to-Pay Signal (Will they actually pay?) "Would a typical merchant in your target market pay $X/month for this?" - **5:** Multiple mercha