{"id":17006,"plugin_id":"plugins_6a701c7b1f9481919cf7c7448ddc1bd4","kind":"skill","collection_source":null,"comparison_source":null,"observed_at":"2026-09-30T23:13:55.685Z","digest":"bc5649bfdec0841fbf47616dfb54be0d1f6ecb9de8b6cf83a1ae515a9cc26d4a","against":null,"payload":{"description":"Validate a Shopify app idea before writing code. Runs a 7-question pre-build framework, facilitates 5-merchant interview protocol, guides landing page + waitlist test, and identifies kill criteria early. Outputs a prioritization matrix and yes/no decision. Triggered on: 'validate app idea', 'should I build this app', 'MVP scope', 'app validation framework', 'problem-solution fit', 'customer interview', 'is my shopify app idea good', 'validate my idea'","included_files":[],"name":"app-validation","skill_md_contents":"---\nname: app-validation\ndescription: \"Validate a Shopify app idea before writing code. Runs a 7-question pre-build framework, facilitates 5-merchant interview protocol, guides landing page + waitlist test, and identifies kill criteria early. Outputs a prioritization matrix and yes/no decision. Triggered on: 'validate app idea', 'should I build this app', 'MVP scope', 'app validation framework', 'problem-solution fit', 'customer interview', 'is my shopify app idea good', 'validate my idea'\"\n---\n\n## When to Use This Skill\n\nCall this when:\n1. **You have an app idea** and need confidence before 4 weeks of build time\n2. **You want to avoid false starts** with market validation first\n3. **You need to prioritize** which app idea to build if you have multiple\n4. **You're mid-build** and getting customer feedback signals\n\n**Do NOT use this if:**\n- You've already shipped and have paying customers (use metrics instead)\n- You're in execution mode and decided to build (stay focused)\n\n---\n\n## The 7-Question Pre-Build Validation Framework\n\nAnswer all 7 questions with your best estimate. Score each 1-5 (5 = strong yes, 1 = strong no).\n\n### Question 1: Problem Severity (Does it hurt bad enough?)\n\n\"On a scale of 1-5, how much pain do merchants have right now?\"\n- **5:** Merchants spend 5+ hours/week on this; lose money if unsolved; manual workaround fails 50%+ of the time\n- **4:** Spend 2-5 hours/week; workaround exists but tedious; minor money loss\n- **3:** Spend <2 hours/week; annoying but manageable workaround\n- **2:** Nice-to-have improvement; low time cost\n- **1:** Merchants don't really complain about this\n\n**Validation method:** Ask 5 merchants \"How many hours/week does [problem] cost you?\" If 4/5 say >2 hours, you're at 4-5.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <3, problem is aspirational, not acute. Merchants won't pay.\n\n---\n\n### Question 2: Willingness-to-Pay Signal (Will they actually pay?)\n\n\"Would a typical merchant in your target market pay $X/month for this?\"\n- **5:** Multiple merchants have said \"Yes, I'd pay $50+/month for this\"\n- **4:** 3+ merchants said \"Maybe $25-30/month\" unprompted\n- **3:** Merchants said \"Maybe I'd try it if free\" or \"Could work at $10/month\"\n- **2:** \"I'd use it if free but wouldn't pay\"\n- **1:** \"Not worth paying for\"\n\n**Validation method:** Ask in interviews: \"What's the maximum you'd pay monthly for this? What's minimum to make it worth your time?\" If 4/5 say >$15, score 4-5.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <3, problem is real but not monetizable.\n\n---\n\n### Question 3: Retention Plausibility (Will they stick around?)\n\n\"If merchants start using this, will they stay for 6+ months?\"\n- **5:** Solution is sticky by design (required for operations every day)\n- **4:** Daily/weekly usage; low switching cost to alternatives\n- **3:** Bi-weekly usage; some switching cost\n- **2:** Monthly usage; high switching cost (easy to stop)\n- **1:** One-time use; merchants will abandon after task completes\n\n**Validation method:** Ask: \"Once you solve this problem, will you need to keep using it weekly?\" If yes, score 4-5. If it's a one-time setup, score 1-2.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <3, churn will be >30%/month, killing unit economics.\n\n---\n\n### Question 4: Build Complexity vs Founder Skill (Can you actually ship?)\n\n\"How complex is this to build relative to your experience?\"\n- **5:** You've built 3+ similar apps; <4 weeks for MVP\n- **4:** Similar to past projects; 4-6 weeks with learning\n- **3:** Requires 1-2 new technologies; 6-8 weeks\n- **2:** Requires deep learning in unfamiliar domain; 8-12 weeks\n- **1:** Requires ML/distributed systems/real-time data processing; >12 weeks\n\n**Validation method:** Sketch MVP: \"What are the 3 core features?\" If all are API-integration or dashboard, score 4-5. If you need to learn new framework, score 3. If it requires ML, score 1-2.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <3 and you're solo, you won't finish in 90 days. Adjust scope or team up.\n\n---\n\n### Question 5: Distribution Path (How will they find you?)\n\n\"Do you have a distribution channel to reach 100+ merchants in 90 days?\"\n- **5:** Existing audience (email list 500+, Twitter 2k+ followers, partnership ready)\n- **4:** Can reach niche community easily (Facebook group, subreddit, forums with active presence)\n- **3:** Can cold-email 50+ prospects per week; willing to do manual outreach\n- **2:** App Store search only; no warm channel\n- **1:** No plan to reach customers; hoping App Store ranking appears\n\n**Validation method:** List 5 specific ways you'll reach first 100 customers. If 3+ are warm (email, partnerships, existing audience), score 4-5. If all cold, score 2-3.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <3, you'll take 6+ months to hit $1k MRR. Okay if you have runway, risky if bootstrapping.\n\n---\n\n### Question 6: Defensibility (Will competitors copy you?)\n\n\"How easy is this for a competitor to replicate in 3 months?\"\n- **5:** Network effects, data moat, or exclusive partnership (hard to copy)\n- **4:** Requires specific domain expertise or customer relationships\n- **3:** Process/product differentiation; smart execution wins\n- **2:** Copyable but slower (competitor could match in 4-6 months)\n- **1:** Trivially copyable; first-mover advantage only lasts 2-3 months\n\n**Validation method:** Could Shopify build this natively? Could Klaviyo or Recharge add it as a feature? If yes, score 1-2. If requires specialized knowledge, score 4-5.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <2 and you're bootstrapping, be prepared to sell or partner before a big competitor enters.\n\n---\n\n### Question 7: Gross Margin Math (Does the unit economics work?)\n\n\"Will you make money on each customer, accounting for payment processing, support, hosting?\"\n- **5:** Pricing >$50/month; COGS <20%; unit margins 70%+\n- **4:** Pricing $25-50/month; COGS 20-30%; unit margins 50-70%\n- **3:** Pricing $10-25/month; COGS 30-40%; unit margins 40-50%\n- **2:** Pricing <$10/month or COGS >40%; unit margins <40%\n- **1:** Pricing <$5/month or will require heavy support; unprofitable\n\n**Validation method:**\n- Payment processing: 3.5% (Stripe)\n- Hosting/database: Estimate per customer\n- Support: $1-5/month per customer\n- Margins = (Price - COGS) / Price\n- Rule: If <40% margin, you need 10k+ customers to be sustainable. Risky.\n\n**Red flag:** If score <3, you're building a lifestyle business (not a venture). Know what you're signing up for.\n\n---\n\n## The 5-Merchant Interview Protocol\n\n### Interview Script (20 minutes)\n\n**Intro (2 min):**\n\"Hi [Name]. Thanks for 20 minutes. I'm researching how [niche] merchants solve [problem]. I'm not selling anything—just learning. Honest feedback helps me most.\"\n\n**Problem Understanding (5 min):**\n1. \"How do you currently solve [problem]?\"\n2. \"What's frustrating about your current approach?\" (Listen for pain signals)\n3. \"How much time do you spend on this per week?\"\n\n**Willingness-to-Pay (5 min):**\n4. \"If an app solved this, how much would you pay monthly?\" (Don't anchor; let them answer)\n5. \"What features would it need to be worth that price?\" (Listen for must-haves)\n\n**Retention Signal (4 min):**\n6. \"Would you need this app indefinitely, or is it one-time?\" (Score retention here)\n7. \"Would you switch from [current solution] if this was 50% cheaper?\" (Switching costs)\n\n**Outro (4 min):**\n8. \"Can I send you a waitlist link in 2 weeks? I'll give early customers 50% off first year.\" (Pre-sale signal)\n9. \"Who else should I talk to in your niche?\" (Warm intros > cold email)\n\n### Interview Scoring Rubric\n\n| Signal | Strong (5) | Moderate (3) | Weak (1) |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Problem severity | Spends 5+ hrs/week; lost money | 2-4 hrs/week | <1 hr/week |\n| Current solution fit | \"It's broken, I hate it\" | \"Works but tedious\" | \"I'm fine with it\" |\n| Willingness-to-pay | \"I'd pay $50/month\" | \"Maybe $20-25\" | \"Only if free\" |\n| Stated features needed | 2-3 specific, detailed | 1-2 generic features | Vague answers |\n| Retention likelihood | \"I'd need this forever\" | \"Maybe 6-12 months\" | \"One-time fix\" |\n| Switching cost | \"Pain to change now\" | \"Could switch if easy\" | \"No switching cost\" |\n| Pre-sale signal | \"Yes, send waitlist\" | \"Maybe, depends on price\" | \"Not interested\" |\n\n**Scoring:** Sum scores for all interviews. Target: 28+/35 (80%+) to proceed with build.\n\n---\n\n## Landing Page + Waitlist Test\n\n### The Template (Webflow, no-code, <1 day to build)\n\n```\n# Headline: [Problem Result] in [Timeframe]\n\n[Subheading: Benefit statement]\n\n## The Problem\n[2-3 sentences: How merchants currently lose money/time]\n\n## The Solution\n[Your app name]: [What it does]\n\n### What You Get:\n- Feature 1: [What it does + benefit]\n- Feature 2: [What it does + benefit]\n- Feature 3: [What it does + benefit]\n\n## FAQ\n\n**Q: How long does onboarding take?**\nA: <5 minutes. Install, connect, start.\n\n**Q: Can I try it free?**\nA: Yes. [30-day free trial] with full features.\n\n**Q: What if I don't like it?**\nA: Cancel anytime. No questions asked.\n\n## Join the Waitlist\nEarly access: 50% lifetime discount + priority support\n[Email input + \"Notify Me\" CTA]\n\nLaunching: [Date 4 weeks from now]\n```\n\n### Waitlist Test Success Metrics\n\n- **Goal:** 100 signups in 30 days (indicates strong demand)\n- **Minimum:** 50 signups (problem is real, but demand is moderate)\n- **Red flag:** <25 signups (either problem is unknown or niche is tiny)\n\n### How to Drive Traffic (Organic)\n\n1. **Reddit r/shopify** (2-3 posts per week)\n   - Share specific problem you're solving\n   - Never hard-sell; let conversation emerge\n   - Goal: 5-10 signups per post\n\n2. **Shopify Community Forums** (1-2 relevant thread responses)\n   - Add to existing threads about the problem\n   - Link to waitlist only if on-topic\n   - Goal: 3-5 signups per thread\n\n3. **Twitter** (Daily, if you're active)\n   - Share merchant pain points\n   - Ask for feedback on solution direction\n   - Link to waitlist in bio\n   - Goal: 2-3 signups per day if you have audience\n\n4. **Cold email** (Optional, high-touch)\n   - 20 relevant store owners per week\n   - Subject: \"Question for you: [problem]?\"\n   - Goal: 10-20% reply rate, 5-10% signup rate\n\n### Conversion Math\n- 500 landing page visits → 50 signups = 10% conversion (strong)\n- 500 visits → 25 signups = 5% conversion (okay)\n- 500 visits → <10 signups = 2% conversion (rethink value prop)\n\n---\n\n## Pre-Sale Test (Highest Confidence Signal)\n\n**Email to waitlist after 2 weeks:**\n\nSubject: \"50% lifetime discount ends soon [Your App Name]\"\n\nBody:\n\"We're launching [App Name] in 2 weeks. I'm offering the first 50 waitlist members 50% off forever as a thank you.\n\n[Problem]: [2-sentence description]\n[Solution]: [2-sentence description]\n\nPricing: $29/month ($14.50 with this offer)\n[Link to pre-order/purchase]\n\nNo refunds needed—we'll set up your trial first.\"\n\n### Pre-Sale Scoring\n- **5+** customers commit = Demand is confirmed. Build it.\n- **2-4** customers commit = Demand is moderate. Adjust positioning or pricing.\n- **0-1** customers commit = Problem doesn't justify price. Kill idea or pivot.\n\n---\n\n## MVP Scope Definition (4-Week Target)\n\n### Cut Ruthlessly\n\n**REMOVE from MVP:**\n- Multi-language support\n- Admin dashboard analytics\n- Webhooks to 5+ platforms\n- Advanced permission systems\n- Mobile app (web-responsive okay)\n- Email notifications (basic only)\n- API documentation\n- Custom integrations\n\n**KEEP for MVP:**\n- Core workflow: 1 painful step, fully solved\n- Core integrations: 1-2 essential APIs only\n- Authentication: Shopify OAuth only\n- Database: Simple schema, no complex queries\n- UX: Functional, not beautiful\n- Support: Email only\n\n### Example MVP Scope: Dropshipping Order Reconciliation\n\n**What to build:**\n1. Dashboard showing all orders from connected supplier APIs (3 integrations: AliExpress, Shopee, Supplier 1)\n2. Order status sync (manual refresh + 12-hour auto-sync)\n3. Tracking number capture + auto-update to Shopify\n4. Export orders as CSV\n\n**What NOT to build:**\n- Margin calculator\n- Supplier rating system\n- Batch order management\n- Real-time webhooks\n- Mobile app\n- Advanced analytics\n\n**Realistic 4-week timeline:**\n- Week 1: Shopify OAuth + database schema + UI layout\n- Week 2: AliExpress API integration\n- Week 3: Status sync + tracking capture\n- Week 4: Testing + Shopify review submission\n\n---\n\n## Kill Criteria: When to Abandon\n\n**Stop if ANY of these are true:**\n\n1. **Interview Score <20/35**\n   - Fewer than 3/5 merchants willing to pay at target price\n   - Action: Pivot to different problem or niche\n\n2. **Waitlist Score <25 signups in 30 days**\n   - Insufficient demand signal\n   - Action: Either rethink marketing or kill idea\n\n3. **Pre-Sale Score 0 commits in 2 weeks**\n   - Merchants won't pre-pay even with discount\n   - Action: Abandon or find different angle\n\n4. **Build complexity >8 weeks solo**\n   - You can't ship in 90-day window\n   - Action: Simplify MVP or team up\n\n5. **Gross margins <35%**\n   - Unit economics don't work at any reasonable scale\n   - Action: Raise prices or cut COGS; if neither possible, kill\n\n6. **5+ competitors all with 4.5+ ratings**\n   - Market is won; differentiation is nearly impossible\n   - Action: Move to different niche\n\n7. **Shopify is shipping this feature natively in Q2/Q3**\n   - You will be undercut before profitability\n   - Action: Kill and find different problem\n\n8. **Churn will likely be >15%/month**\n   - Problem is nice-to-have, not must-have\n   - Action: Find stickier problem\n\n---\n\n## Prioritization Matrix (If You Have Multiple Ideas)\n\nScore each idea 1-5 on each axis. Plot on matrix.\n\n```\n                High Defensibility\n                       ^\n                       |\n     LOW BUILD    LOW BUILD      HIGH BUILD    HIGH BUILD\n     LOW DEMAND   HIGH DEMAND    LOW DEMAND    HIGH DEMAND\n                       |\n      __________|__________|__________\n     |                    |           |\nHIGH |        [MAYBE]     |   [BUILD] |\n     |        Build only  |   Build   |\n     |        if funded   |   first   |\n     |                    |           |\nMARGIN|_____________________|___________|_________\n     |                    |           |\nLOW  |      [KILL]        | [CONSIDER]|\n     |      No point      | If you    |\n     |                    | have time |\n     |_____________________|___________|\n               [Build Complexity / Niche Size]\n```\n\n**Placement logic:**\n- **High demand + Low build complexity + High defensibility** = BUILD FIRST\n- **High demand + Low complexity + Low defensibility** = BUILD FAST (before copied)\n- **High demand + High complexity + Low margins** = SKIP (unit economics fail)\n- **Low demand** = KILL (waste of time)\n\n---\n\n## Output Format for Claude\n\nWhen validating an idea, return this structure:\n\n```\n# App Idea Validation Report\n\n## 7-Question Framework Scores\n\n| Question | Score (1-5) | Evidence |\n|---|---|---|\n| Problem severity | [X] | [Quote from interviews / time spent] |\n| Willingness-to-pay | [X] | [Price points mentioned] |\n| Retention likelihood | [X] | [Usage frequency signal] |\n| Build complexity vs skill | [X] | [Time estimate + experience] |\n| Distribution path | [X] | [5 specific acquisition channels] |\n| Defensibility | [X] | [Competitive advantage / moat] |\n| Gross margin math | [X] | [Price - COGS calc] |\n| **TOTAL SCORE** | **[X]/35** | **[% of max]** |\n\n## Interview Summary\n- **Merchants interviewed:** [Names/types]\n- **Interview score:** [X/35]\n- **Key pain signal:** [Most common complaint]\n- **Willingness-to-pay:** $[Min]-$[Max]/month (median: $X)\n- **Pre-sale commitment:** [X customers] at [Price]\n\n## MVP Scope & Timeline\n- **Core workflow:** [One sentence]\n- **Essential integrations:** [1-2 APIs]\n- **Realistic timeline:** [Weeks]\n- **Build complexity vs your skill:** [Match/Gap]\n\n## Recommendation\n\n**[BUILD / PIVOT / KILL]**\n\n**Reasoning:**\n- [If BUILD] This scores [X/35]. Problem is acute ($[money]/week loss), merchants will pay $[price], and you can ship in 4 weeks. Proceed with MVP.\n- [If PIVOT] Problem severity is low, but willingness-to-pay for angle [X] is stronger. Suggest pivoting to [alternative angle].\n- [If KILL] [Reason: interview score / waitlist performance / build complexity / margin math / competition]. Recommend moving to idea [Next priority].\n```\n\n---\n\n## Decision Tree: Should You Build This App?\n\n```\nSTART: You have an app idea\n  ↓\nStep 1: Run 5-question interviews with target merchants\n  Result: Interview score [X/35]\n\n  [Score >24] → Continue\n  [Score 15-24] → Consider pivoting problem angle\n  [Score <15] → KILL, move to next idea\n\n  ↓\nStep 2: Launch landing page + waitlist\n  Result: [X signups in 30 days]\n\n  [>50 signups] → Continue\n  [25-50 signups] → Proceed but expect slower traction\n  [<25 signups] → Rethink positioning or kill\n\n  ↓\nStep 3: Run pre-sale test\n  Result: [X customers pre-commit]\n\n  [>2 pre-sales] → BUILD\n  [0-1 pre-sales] → Either kill or pivot pricing/positioning\n\n  ↓\nStep 4: Validate MVP scope & timeline\n  Can you ship in 4 weeks? Build complexity vs skill match?\n\n  [YES] → BEGIN BUILD\n  [NO] → Simplify MVP or add co-founder\n```\n\n---\n\n## Key Metrics Throughout Validation\n\n- **Interview conversion:** (Willing to pay) / 5 merchants = demand %\n- **Willingness-to-pay median:** Ask 5 merchants, find median price point\n- **Waitlist conversion:** Signups / traffic = demand signal\n- **Pre-sale conversion:** Pre-commits / waitlist = monetization confidence\n- **Build time estimate:** Weeks to MVP (target: <4 weeks)\n- **Churn prediction:** Daily/weekly/monthly usage = monthly retention rate\n- **Gross margin:** (Price - COGS) / Price (target: >40%)\n\n---\n\n## Validation Timeline\n\n**Week 1:** Recruit 5 merchants + run interviews\n**Week 2:** Build landing page + start driving waitlist traffic\n**Week 3:** Analyze waitlist conversion; if >50, launch pre-sale\n**Week 4:** Decision: BUILD, PIVOT, or KILL\n\n**Total validation time:** 4 weeks (before writing one line of code)\n\nIf validation passes all gates, you enter MVP build phase with 90+ days of runway.\n"},"changes":[],"summary":"First saved snapshot. 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