Why We Kill Most of Our Ideas
A good idea isn't enough. What we look for before giving an idea permission to become a company.
Continue reading ↓Most ideas should not become companies. That is not pessimism. It is how a studio stays useful: by saying no early, clearly and for reasons the founder can see.
A good idea is not enough
Almost every idea we hear is reasonable. The question is whether anyone is already struggling with the problem badly enough to change how they work. Interest is easy to find. Pain is rarer.
What we look for before saying yes
- A problem that real people already experience, described in their own words
- Evidence that the problem is worth paying to fix, not only worth discussing
- A founder with real knowledge of the domain and the conviction to stay with it
- A clear reason it should exist now, and a reason we are the right team to help
When those are missing we do not pretend otherwise. We say so, and we explain why.
Why early no's matter
Killing an idea in a few weeks costs a few weeks. Discovering the same thing after a year of building costs far more. An early no is one of the most useful things a studio can give a founder.
“A prototype is not evidence. A customer who changes their behaviour is.”