A practical guide with a soft nudge from your intuition
You’ve got an idea. Maybe it arrived in the shower, on a walk, during a half-distracted scroll through Instagram. Or maybe it’s been circling your mind for months – half-formed, slightly scary, and impossible to ignore.
And now you’re asking the question most new founders do: Is this actually a good idea… or am I just chasing another shiny thing?
Before you get lost in a 47-tab Google spiral of market validation strategies, here’s the truth: There’s no magic formula that can guarantee your idea will succeed. But there is a way to feel more confident about pursuing it. It starts with curiosity. And a little trust in yourself.
1. Check for alignment
Before anything else, ask: Does this idea feel like mine? Not your mentor’s. Not your competitor’s. Not the version you think you should want. Yours.
👉 Does it excite you – even if it also scares you a bit?
👉 Can you see yourself still caring about this in six months?
👉 Is there a clear reason (beyond money) that you want to explore this?
If your answer is yes, that’s a green flag.
2. Look at your lived experience
You don’t need formal credentials to validate your idea – but you do need some context for why you’re the one to bring it to life.
👉 Have you walked through something you now want to help others with?
👉 Have you already been doing this in some unofficial way – through conversations, advice, writing, or experimentation?
👉 Are people already asking you for this (even if you haven’t charged for it yet)?
Experience doesn’t always look like a resume. Sometimes it looks like real life.
3. Get curious about the problem it solves
All great businesses solve a problem – even if it’s a quiet or unconventional one.
👉 What need or desire does this idea respond to?
👉 What pain point does it ease or what longing does it speak to?
👉 Who would this genuinely help?
If you can clearly name the problem (or feeling) your idea addresses, you’re on the right track.
4. Test the idea – simply
You don’t need to build a full website, run ads, or perfect your branding just yet. You just need to test the idea in its simplest form.
👉 Can you run a beta round?
👉 Offer it to three people and ask for feedback?
👉 Talk about the concept on socials and see what resonates?
👉 Build a waitlist, free resource, or interest poll?
Validation doesn’t have to be fancy. Start small, gather data, adjust as needed.
5. Let your body weigh in
Yes, strategy matters. But so does intuition. And often, your body knows before your mind does.
When you think about launching this idea:
👉 Do you feel expansive or restricted?
👉 Energised or drained?
👉 Clear or deeply confused?
Sometimes fear shows up because it matters. But if the idea feels heavy, forced, or disconnected—that’s worth listening to, too.
A gentle reminder: Most ideas don’t come out fully formed.
Your idea might evolve. The offer might shift. The audience might change. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing. It just means it’s alive. The best ideas grow with you. So don’t wait until you’re “sure.” Start where you are. Refine as you go. Let clarity build in motion.
Still not sure? Ask yourself: If I don’t try this… will I regret it in six months?
If the answer is yes, then you already know. You’re ready to begin.
