I Tested 100 Startup Ideas in 30 Days - Only 3 Were Worth Building (Here's the Exact Framework I Used)
Hey there! I'm John Daniel M from Appkodes, and after 5 years of building platforms and watching countless startups crash and burn, I decided to do something crazy.
I was tired of seeing entrepreneurs (including myself) waste months building products nobody wanted. So I challenged myself: Could I validate 100 startup ideas in just 30 days using a systematic approach?
The result? 97 ideas were complete garbage. But those 3 winners? They're now generating over $180K in combined revenue, and two of them are on track to hit 7 figures this year.
Here's the brutal truth: Most people spend more time choosing their Netflix show than validating their startup idea. I'm about to change that for you.
The "97% Failure Rate" Reality Check
Before we dive into the framework, let me share what I discovered during this experiment:
Week 1: I was optimistic. Every idea seemed brilliant. I thought I'd found 20 winners.
Week 2: Reality hit. Most ideas crumbled under basic scrutiny.
Week 3: I became ruthlessly systematic. The framework started working.
Week 4: Only 3 ideas survived every test I threw at them.
The shocking part? The 3 winners weren't the "sexy" AI or blockchain ideas. They were boring, simple solutions to annoying problems that people actually pay to solve.
The 4-Phase Validation Framework That Changed Everything
Phase 1: The 60-Second Idea Filter
Time per idea: 1 minute
Goal: Eliminate obvious losers
I created a rapid-fire checklist:
- [ ] Can I explain this in one sentence?
- [ ] Does this solve a problem I've personally experienced?
- [ ] Would I pay for this solution?
- [ ] Can I identify 10 specific people who have this problem?
Result: 100 ideas → 40 ideas (60% eliminated immediately)
Real Example: "AI-powered sock matching app" failed because I couldn't name 10 people who'd pay for it. "Freelancer invoice tracking tool" passed because I knew dozens of freelancers struggling with this.
Phase 2: The Google Test
Time per idea: 5 minutes
Goal: Validate market demand
For each surviving idea, I searched:
- "[Problem] solution" - Are people actively searching?
- "[Problem] software" - What competition exists?
- "[Problem] reddit" - Real people discussing this pain?
The Magic Numbers:
- Search volume: 1,000+ monthly searches
- Competition: Less than 5 direct competitors
- Reddit discussions: At least 3 threads with 50+ comments
Result: 40 ideas → 15 ideas (62% eliminated)
Winner Example: "Local business review management" had 8,100 monthly searches, only 2 major competitors, and tons of frustrated restaurant owners on Reddit.
Phase 3: The 48-Hour Customer Discovery Sprint
Time per idea: 2 days
Goal: Talk to real humans
This is where most people fail. They assume instead of asking. Here's my exact process:
Day 1: Find Your People
- LinkedIn: Search job titles related to your target market
- Facebook Groups: Join 3-5 groups where your customers hang out
- Cold outreach: Send 20 personalized messages
Day 2: The Interview Blitz
- Goal: 5 conversations minimum
- Script: "I'm researching [problem area]. Do you have 10 minutes to share your experience?"
- Key questions:
- How do you currently handle [problem]?
- What's the most frustrating part?
- What would an ideal solution look like?
- Would you pay $X/month for that solution?
The Brutal Filter: If I couldn't get 5 people to talk about the problem, the idea died.
Result: 15 ideas → 7 ideas (53% eliminated)
Phase 4: The MVP Reality Check
Time per idea: 3-4 days
Goal: Build the absolute minimum to test demand
I didn't build apps. I built tests:
Landing Page MVP (Day 1-2):
- Single page explaining the solution
- "Coming Soon" signup form
- Pricing information
- Social proof (even if it's just testimonials from discovery calls)
Traffic Test (Day 3-4):
- $50 Google Ads budget per idea
- Target keywords from Phase 2
- Track: Click-through rate, email signups, pricing page views
The Success Metrics:
- Landing page conversion: 3%+ email signups
- Ad click-through rate: 2%+
- At least 10 people willing to pre-order/pre-pay
The Framework Template (Copy This)
Week 1: Idea Generation & Filtering
- Monday-Tuesday: Brainstorm 25 ideas per day (use problem-solving frameworks)
- Wednesday: Apply 60-second filter to all 50 ideas
- Thursday-Friday: Google Test on remaining ideas
Week 2: Customer Discovery
- Monday: Find and contact potential customers for top 15 ideas
- Tuesday-Friday: Conduct interviews (aim for 5 per idea)
- Weekend: Analyze feedback and eliminate weak ideas
Week 3: MVP Creation
- Monday-Tuesday: Build landing pages for remaining ideas
- Wednesday-Thursday: Set up tracking and analytics
- Friday: Launch ads and start collecting data
Week 4: Analysis & Decision
- Monday-Wednesday: Analyze all metrics
- Thursday: Make final cuts based on data
- Friday: Create development roadmap for winners
The Uncomfortable Truths I Learned
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Your favorite idea will probably fail. I was emotionally attached to a "revolutionary" project management tool. It got zero interest.
-
Boring problems pay better. The sexiest idea (AR shopping app) got lots of "cool!" responses but zero paying customers.
-
Speed kills perfectionism. Moving fast forced me to focus on what actually mattered: customer pain.
-
Most "competition" is actually validation. If others are solving similar problems, it means there's a real market.
-
Revenue cures everything. Once money started flowing, all the "but what about features X, Y, Z?" questions disappeared.
Your 30-Day Challenge Starts Now
I'm challenging you to test 10 ideas (yes, just 10) using this framework over the next 30 days. Why 10? Because you'll actually finish, and finishing beats perfecting.
Week 1: Generate and filter 10 ideas
Week 2: Customer discovery on top 5
Week 3: Build MVPs for top 3
Week 4: Analyze and pick your winner
The Rules:
- No coding until Phase 4
- Talk to real humans in Phase 3
- Kill ideas ruthlessly based on data, not emotions
- Set a timer for each phase
Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Building?
The difference between successful entrepreneurs and everyone else isn't better ideas—it's better validation.
Stop building what you think people want. Start building what they're already trying to buy.
Your 30-day validation journey starts with idea #1. What problem did you face this week that made you think "there has to be a better way"?
That's your starting point.
I hate to be 'that guy' but something very fishy about all of this.
You have a dev agency but $180k on the side. Your Linkedin says you are from the states but your agency is India based. None of these SAAS products can be found on Google.
Not saying this is fake, but...
It's clearly fake.
How could he personally have these problems (filter 1). He owns a restuarant, is a freelancer etc. Doesnt pass a basic common sense case. Its sad that this finds it way to the home page.
These kinds of recycled articles are all bullshit and fake. Think of all of the apps that you use on a day-to-day basis, The ones that actually got big, none of them would pass any of this test.
Exactly, great point.
This framework completely flips the traditional startup approach on its head. Instead of spending months building something nobody wants, you've created a scientific method for startup validation.
I'm curious though: during your customer discovery phase, what specific questions or responses were the strongest indicators that an idea would succeed?
Excellent framework, thank you!
Thanks a lot for sharing. You pointed out some good things and followed through.
great, thank you
This is such a timely resource — SEO always feels like that “later” task until it’s too late. Appreciate how you broke it down for founders. Added this to my StartupGrid toolkit! 🙌
I'm thrilled you found the resource helpful and that it’s earned a spot in your StartupGrid toolkit. 🙌 You're absolutely right—SEO is often overlooked until it becomes urgent, but starting early can make a world of difference. Wishing you great success in implementing these strategies, and feel free to reach out if you need any further insights!
Great post — love your rapid validation approach. I frequently help small brands test custom product ideas with minimal budget. AMA if anyone is curious how to validate physical products from China
Excellent One, John! The Basic Will Helps a Lot!!!
This is actually amazing, thank you John!
In phase 2, your tip about searching for problem–solution posts on Reddit really opened my mind.
Thanks for detailing this out. Really realy helpful. Can you please share how you shortlisted on first 100 ideas?
wow i think i found this at correct time, this is great advice. I recently started my 30 day chalenge to build as many AI based product/solutions as i can. the aim is to find a winning product and also learn the process of building, rather than just building idea lists!
well that's what I have in my head but I am afraid of Talking (Introvert)
Find less introverts(than you) to start with.
appreciate that
you are very right about needing to fufill a potential customers issue. that is how you build a successful product
a hundred startup ideas, i mean props to you. that is dedication
Love this framework, John!
I followed a similar path with my chai café, brewedtogreed in Raipur — skipped the hype, solved a real craving, and it's actually paying off.
Boring problems = real profits.
Love the disciplined approach, and I’m super curious about the framework you used to filter them down. Definitely something every indie hacker could learn from. Thanks for sharing your process!
This is such a brillaint idea with very clear steps. Definitely worth adopting!
This 30-day challenge framework is spot on! In HIPAA compliance SaaS, I’ve seen that validating real pain points early is crucial — many companies think compliance tools need endless features, but revenue and actual user adoption come when you solve a real, urgent problem simply and well. Focusing on what customers really struggle with (not what we think they want) has been a game changer for us. Thanks for sharing this structured approach!
Congrats on the launch! Curious — how did you get your first users?
Brilliant post, John. The 60-second filter and “Google Test” phases hit especially hard — way too many founders skip those and end up over-investing in noise.
I’ve run lean idea sprints myself and always found that talking to non-technical users early saves months of delusion. Curious—did any of your top 3 winners end up pivoting after traction?
This might be a bit off-topic, but I was wondering —
If someone built a fully working video editor development environment (not a finished app, but the actual Electron + React + FFmpeg engine),
...would that be something developers or SaaS founders would actually pay for?
It’s more like an SDK that handles timeline logic, subtitles, effects, and export — all built and ready to plug into your own platform.
Curious if you (or anyone here) ever considered selling something like that — or if you think there’s a market for it.
Thanks 🙌
thanks John this was really nice and let me understand how it works.
however i don't have 10 ideas to run in my mind i only have one and i really would like it to work and i don't know how to do that.
Its a great helpful post for us .Thanks
Great article! Thanks!
A good reminder of sticking to the basics.
Hey everyone. I am doing a short research project on how indie founders are using AI-powered creative tools to market and grow their products. If you are working on anything (apps, SaaS, games, or side projects), I would really appreciate chatting for 10 to 15 minutes about how you approach marketing, what tools you are using, and what challenges you run into. Totally casual, nothing formal. Thanks a lot in advance to anyone who is open.
If you’re looking for a designer for early start up idea I’m open for collaboration
Thank you for sharing this useful article. I guess many people can save time by following your approach.
Thanks a lot for sharing
Love how brutally honest this breakdown is. Especially the part about boring ideas making real money totally resonates.
I ran a similar mini-validation sprint last quarter and realized most of my clever AI tools didn’t solve a painful problem. But the tool I almost scrapped? That one ended up getting consistent organic traffic and early signups because it solved something annoying and specific.
Exactly!
This is incredibly helpful, John. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of building too much before validating, only to find out no one actually wanted it. Your framework makes the process clear and actionable. Especially love the ruthless filters - a great reminder to kill ideas early instead of getting emotionally attached. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I’m glad you found the framework helpful and actionable. It’s definitely a challenge to stay objective and avoid getting attached to ideas prematurely, but applying ruthless filters can save so much time and effort in the long run. Wishing you success as you put these strategies into practice, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback!
This is a fascinating framework, thanks for sharing. Can I ask about day 0 - what was ideation process for your 100 ideas?
On Day 0, my ideation process was all about quantity over quality - I focused on brainstorming as many ideas as possible without judging or filtering them. I drew inspiration from problems I personally faced, trends in different industries, and pain points shared in online communities like Indie Hackers and Reddit. The key was to stay open-minded and let creativity flow before applying any evaluation criteria. Let me know if you'd like more detail about this step!
Great post. Think you could probably narrow down the initial idea set quickly, but building the landing page and the cold DMs are super clutch.
That's a common ratio of too many possible ideas vs only a very few ones that are worthwhile. Great post.
정말 멋진 글입니다. 당신의 경험과 지식에 박수를 보내며, 저도 더 정진하겠습니다
감사합니다! 따뜻한 격려의 말씀 정말 힘이 됩니다. 저도 항상 배우고 성장하려고 노력하고 있으니, 함께 더 나은 미래를 향해 나아가길 바랍니다. 응원합니다! 😊
Very insightful walkthrough and framework. Determining demand signals is so crucial.
Idea validation is super important. Great walkthrough, will use this framework next time I get a seemingly good idea. Which happens a lot.
Regarding phase 2, how do you identify the numbers? Normal Google search or Google Trends?
Both and some other tools also.
This is brilliant! I wish I took this systematic approach before I started my app (though I did end up doing something similar, just later in development admittedly). I would love to learn more about how you juggle these 3 businesses. How do you stay on track and find the time for each?
It’s great to hear that you ended up applying a similar approach, even if later in the process - it’s never too late to optimize. As for juggling the businesses, I prioritize by setting clear goals and focusing on one key initiative for each business at a time. Time management tools and frameworks like time blocking and regular progress reviews help me stay organized and on track. Happy to share more details if you'd like! 😊
Links to the saas-sites?
Because I searched for RestaurantReviewPro, FreelanceInvoiceKit and LocalServiceBooker and I did not get any hits...
What would be the number 1 advice/resource or plain personal experience that led you to this framework?
Great question! The number one thing that shaped this framework was learning the hard way - not validating ideas early and spending months building something only to realize it didn’t solve a real problem. A game-changer for me was The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick. It taught me how to ask the right questions during validation without biasing the answers. That mindset shift made all the difference!
This is gold, John. That 4-phase framework is the kind of brutally practical system most early founders need but rarely use. Love how you highlighted that the winners weren’t flashy — just real problems with real pain.
Also, your point about being emotionally attached to bad ideas hit hard. Been there. 😅
Quick question: During customer discovery, did you get better responses from cold outreach or from communities like Facebook/Reddit?
Thank you for the thoughtful feedback. I’m glad the framework resonated with you and appreciate your insight about focusing on real problems with tangible pain points. It’s a common challenge for founders to detach emotionally from ideas that may not align with market needs - your perspective truly highlights that.
To your question, both cold outreach and engaging in communities like Facebook and Reddit can yield valuable insights, but the effectiveness often depends on the audience and context. Cold outreach tends to provide direct, unfiltered responses from potential customers, while community interactions offer a more organic way to observe discussions and validate ideas. A combination of both approaches usually works best for comprehensive discovery.
Good evening John , this is really insightful and I'm about to implement these suggestions on my businessplan. I'm a young entrepreneur based in JHB /SA
Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you found the suggestions insightful and are considering implementing them in your business plan. Best of luck with your entrepreneurial journey in JHB, South Africa – it’s inspiring to see young entrepreneurs driving innovation and growth. Should you have any questions or need further insights, feel free to reach out.