Why does the skill require evidence of workarounds?

If users haven't tried to solve a problem with existing tools or manual processes, the pain is usually not intense enough to justify building a new solution.

How does the validation scoring system work?

The skill rates four dimensions (Frequency, Intensity, Workarounds, and Willingness to Pay) on a scale of 1-5 and multiplies them. A score of 250+ indicates a strong signal to build.

Is this based on any specific product methodologies?

Yes, the framework is built on Y Combinator's 'talk to users' philosophy and Rob Fitzpatrick's 'The Mom Test' for conducting unbiased customer research.

Can I use this for feature prioritization?

Yes, it is highly effective for evaluating whether a requested feature solves a real pain point or is simply a 'nice-to-have' that won't drive engagement.

Problem Validation Framework

Name: Problem Validation Framework
Author: assimovt

byassimovt

•

Productivity & Workflow

Evaluates market demand and problem-solution fit using an evidence-based scoring framework to prevent building products nobody wants.

This skill empowers AI agents to act as seasoned product managers by quantifying the viability of a problem before development begins. It applies a rigorous four-dimensional scoring system—Frequency, Intensity, Workarounds, and Willingness to Pay—to move beyond subjective opinions and hypothetical validation. Based on principles from Y Combinator and The Mom Test, it requires concrete evidence of past behavior and existing workarounds to help developers and founders make informed Go/No-Go decisions on new features or startups, ensuring engineering resources are only spent on high-impact solutions.

Key Features

01Automated Go/No-Go decision logic based on validation scores

02Mom Test compliant interview analysis and data synthesis

03Multi-dimensional scoring framework (Frequency, Intensity, Workarounds, WTP)

04Workaround assessment to gauge problem severity

05Evidence-based evaluation prioritizing observed behavior over opinions

0628 GitHub stars

Use Cases

01Validating a startup idea before writing the first line of code

02Assessing product-market fit for an existing tool facing low engagement

03Deciding whether to build a new feature requested by a subset of users

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add assimovt/productskills problem-validation

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill