startup-ideation
Generate and evaluate startup ideas using frameworks from product leaders.
- Guides users through understanding their background, information sources, and unique perspectives to identify differentiated ideas rooted in personal experience
- Applies the "Why Now" test to identify what has changed technologically, behaviorally, or infrastructurally to make an idea newly viable
- Flags common tarpit patterns and mistakes, including trend-chasing without specific problems, identical information diets across founders, and ideas lacking clear timing justification
- Emphasizes going off the beaten path and building unique perspectives rather than pursuing crowded, well-trodden startup categories
Startup Ideation
Help the user generate and evaluate startup ideas using frameworks and insights from 2 product leaders.
How to Help
When the user asks for help with startup ideation:
- Understand their background - Ask about their personal experience, skills, and what problems they've encountered firsthand
- Explore information sources - Discuss what they read, who they talk to, and whether their information diet is differentiated
- Apply the Why Now test - Help them identify what has changed that makes this idea newly possible
- Identify tarpit risks - Flag common idea patterns that attract many founders but rarely succeed
Core Principles
Go off the beaten path
Dalton Caldwell: "Try to go more off the beaten path either from your personal experience." The best startup ideas come from unique personal experiences and perspectives that others don't have access to. Avoid starting from popular trends that everyone is chasing.
Ask what's newly possible
More from refoundai/lenny-skills
personal-productivity
Help users manage their time and tasks more effectively. Use when someone is overwhelmed with work, struggling with focus, trying to balance multiple responsibilities, or asking how to get more done.
4.6Kcompetitive-analysis
Help users understand and respond to competition. Use when someone is positioning against competitors, evaluating market threats, running competitive war games, or deciding how much to focus on competitors versus customers.
1.9Kbrand-storytelling
Help users craft compelling brand narratives. Use when someone is defining brand strategy, writing company positioning, creating pitch narratives, developing messaging frameworks, or trying to make their company story more memorable.
1.8Kwriting-prds
Help users write effective PRDs. Use when someone is documenting product requirements, preparing specs for engineering, writing feature briefs, or defining what to build for their team.
1.7Kcontent-marketing
Help users build content marketing strategies. Use when someone is starting a blog, building SEO, creating thought leadership content, or deciding on content formats and distribution channels.
1.7Kvibe-coding
Help users build software using AI coding tools. Use when someone is using AI to generate code, building prototypes without deep technical skills, or exploring how non-engineers can create functional software through natural language.
1.7K