About this tool
Startup idea scorecard, explained
This startup idea scorecard compares up to four ideas on weighted criteria and gives each a score out of 100 and a letter grade from A to F. It shows which idea has the strongest case and the one criterion that holds the leader back.
How to use it
- 1Pick a template: Startup idea, Feature, Marketing channel or Side project. Each fills in a list of criteria with a weight from 0 to 5.
- 2Rename the ideas, then rate each one from 1 to 5 on every criterion. Use + Idea to compare up to four ideas and + Criterion to add your own, up to ten.
- 3Change a weight when a criterion matters more or less to you. A weight of 0 leaves it out of the score.
- 4Read the grade of the top idea and "Work on this first", then use Download CSV, Copy summary or Share link.
How it works
How the grade is calculated
Each rating earns a share of its criterion's weight: 1 earns nothing, 3 earns half and 5 earns the full weight. An idea's score is the points it earns divided by the total of all weights, times 100, rounded to a whole number. The grade follows the score: A from 85, B from 70, C from 55, D from 40, and F below that.
The summary gives the gap between the top idea and the next one, then "Work on this first": the criterion that costs the top idea the most points, its weight times the gap between its rating and 5. On a tie, the first in the list is named.
In the Startup idea template, the pain described unprompted and the paid workaround weigh 5 and reaching buyers without ads weighs 4. On the two sample ideas, Idea A scores 58 and Idea B 55, both a C. A's biggest loss is "They pay for a workaround today", weighted 5 and rated 3.
Score = (sum of weight × (rating − 1) ÷ 4) ÷ (sum of weights) × 100
When to use it
Ways people use it
Decide before you build
Score an idea before writing code. A low rating on a heavy criterion points to the customer conversations you still need to have.
Compare ideas side by side
Rate up to four ideas on the same criteria and spend next week on the one with the strongest evidence, not the most exciting one.
Prioritize features or channels
The Feature and Marketing channel templates apply the same method to a roadmap or a growth plan, with criteria you can rename.
Run it as a team exercise
Have each co-founder fill it in alone and send their Share link, which holds the criteria, weights and ratings. Different ratings show where the team relies on assumptions.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How do I validate a startup idea?
Talk to people who have the problem before you build. Ask about the last time it happened, what they did about it and what it cost them, rather than whether they like your idea. Evidence that they already spend money or time on a workaround is a strong signal.
Why does it matter if people pay for a workaround?
A workaround shows the problem is painful enough to act on, and money spent on it shows there is a budget. It is much easier to sell a better solution to someone already paying than to convince someone the problem matters, which is why the Startup idea template gives it the top weight.
What is a good score?
In this scorecard, A starts at 85 out of 100 and B at 70. A score depends on your ratings and on the weights, so compare ideas scored on the same criteria rather than scores from different templates.
How should I set the weights?
Give the highest weight to the criteria that would sink the idea if they failed, such as real demand, and a lower one to what you can fix later, such as build time. A weight of 0 is a quick way to see whether one criterion is deciding the ranking on its own.