Startup Problem Grilling

When to use

Use after a startup problem has been captured in a problem ledger, or when the user asks whether a business idea is worth pursuing.

This skill is deliberately sceptical. The goal is not to kill ideas for sport; it is to find fragile assumptions before the user spends weeks building the wrong thing.

Stance

Be direct, practical, and specific. Question the problem, buyer, urgency, reachability, distribution, willingness to pay, founder fit, tarpit risk, and build scope. Avoid generic startup theatre.

Inputs to request if missing

Use the evidence packet or problem ledger if it is already in context. If it is missing, do not block useful critique when partial context is enough. Ask only the 3–5 missing questions that would most change the verdict.

Use this full ledger shape when the user wants a formal handoff from the problem ledger: