Show HN: I accidentally built a startup idea validation tool

9 kptbarbarossa 15 8/12/2025, 8:29:23 PM validationly.com ↗
I was working on validating some of my own project ideas. While trying to find how to validate my idea, I realized the process itself could be turned into a tool.

A few late nights later, I had something that takes any startup idea, fetches discussions, summarizes sentiment, and gives a quick “validation score.”

It’s very rough, but it works, and it’s already making me rethink a few of my own ideas.

It's still a work in progress. I don't actually know what I'm doing, but I know it's worth it. Honest feedback welcomed! Live demo here: https://validationly.com/

Comments (15)

romanhn · 19m ago
Entered the marketing text from the home page into the textbox ("Validate your idea before you build it. Get AI-driven market validation in seconds. Analyze demand across social platforms with actionable insights."), received a 75/100 score with a $10B TAM. I guess we'll see how valid this validator is soon enough.
alberth · 41m ago
Maybe dumb luck but I keep getting exactly the same “75” score - for each business idea I type in.

Like the idea though.

furyofantares · 33m ago
My idea: extra stairs on staircases even when you don't need them because LLMS exist.

> 65, "good potenial"

> Model:Freemium SaaS

> Price:$29/month

> Break-even:18 months

> LTV/CAC:4.2x

> Projected MRR:$25K by Year 1

KaseKun · 30m ago
I got a score of 25 for "What if everything was spiders?"
jkubicek · 27m ago
I hit a score of 75 with $1b in realistic revenue for "racoonatooie"
jkubicek · 26m ago
> Announcing Raccoonatooie, a game-changing SaaS solution for [target audience]. Learn more about how we help businesses [value proposition].
harlanlewis · 19m ago
I only got 65 for the same idea. I guess you have first mover advantage?
gavinh · 24m ago
> Farts for busy people who dont have time and also LLMs

30/100

wc_nomad · 20m ago
> an app that tells you how potent your poo is, and rates it against other poos to see who has the worst poo

35/100

My start up is going to crush yours.

3yanlis1bos · 39m ago
I really liked all the info you have provided. You need a solid evidence to back some of the claims made by the system.

You might want to add a section where you list related/similar startups and how well they are doing (in terms of ARR and/or other metrics.)

jkubicek · 31m ago
This tool thinks my intentionally dumb idea (Like Uber, except for beekeepers) has "good potential" with an obtainable market of $500mm/year within 5 years.
ojosilva · 10m ago
yeah, the niceness and complacent nature of model training makes it hard to try to nuke any idea from all possible angles, which is what a good VC review does anyway. This a confirmation-bias validation tool!

OP, here are some pointers: prompt the model into the most negative, raunchy and insurmountable as possible personality. Give it examples in the system prompt on how VCs (or your average reddit user...) responds to business ideas, maybe as a different persona, then present negatives and positives from the model at different angles. Wash, rinse, iterate.

jkubicek · 29m ago
My next idea wasn't as good. "boat stuff" is only a $12mm/year idea.
annoyingnoob · 18m ago
Dating for Salesforce looks like a winner!
xnx · 39m ago
Yet another "give me your business ideas for free" business tool ... now with AI wrapper!