Idea OS

AI-powered business idea validation for founders.

Idea OS isn't a chatbot — it's an autonomous research team. It replaces hours of manual competitor research, market analysis, and customer discovery with automated, data-driven validation.

Price: Free

Quick Start

npx @aiorg/cli init idea-os ~/my-idea
cd ~/my-idea
claude
> /setup

Overview

You don't need to know how to do market research. Idea OS does everything:

• Researches competitors automatically
• Analyzes market size and trends
• Generates Mom Test interview questions
• Synthesizes everything into a PMF score

You just answer questions and talk to potential customers.

What's Included

Commands

Knowledge

• Mom Test interview principles
• Competitor analysis frameworks
• Market sizing methodologies
• Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework

Optional Integrations

Without integrations, Idea OS uses WebSearch for all research. Results are good but less precise.

Typical Workflow

1. /setup           → Define your idea
2. /research        → Automatic competitor & market analysis
3. /mockup, /pitch  → Prepare for customer conversations
4. /interviews setup → Get Mom Test questions
5. [Talk to 5+ customers]
6. /interviews add  → Log each interview
7. /interviews analyze → Analyze patterns
8. /pmf             → Get your PMF score
9. /economics       → Can you make money?
10. /report         → Full validation report

PMF Scoring

The /pmf command synthesizes all your data into a score:

OVERALL PMF SCORE: 76/100

RECOMMENDATION: CONDITIONAL GO

Score ranges:

• 80-100: Strong PMF signal — GO
• 60-79: Conditional — needs refinement before full investment
• 40-59: Weak — consider pivot
• 0-39: No PMF — stop or major pivot

Validation Framework

Idea OS uses a 5-dimension validation framework:

1. Problem Validation — Is the problem real and painful?
2. Solution Validation — Do people want YOUR solution?
3. Market Validation — TAM, SAM, SOM, trends
4. Competition Validation — Can you win?
5. Viability Validation — Can you make money?

Jobs to be Done

After you define your idea, Idea OS shows the full landscape of jobs people need to accomplish:

• Core Jobs — What your product directly addresses
• Adjacent Jobs — Opportunities you could add
• Out of Scope — What you're not addressing (focus is good)

This helps you see your product in context of the full industry.

Mom Test Principles

Idea OS generates questions following Mom Test principles:

1. Ask about the past, not the future

   • Good: "When did you last have this problem?"
   • Bad: "Would you use this if I built it?"

2. Ask for specifics, not opinions

   • Good: "Show me how you do this today"
   • Bad: "Do you think this is a good idea?"

3. Look for pain, not validation

   • "That's interesting" ≠ "I'll pay for it"
   • Look for: urgency, budget, failed attempts

Project Structure

idea-os/
├── config/
│   ├── idea.md                 # Your idea definition
│   ├── customer.md             # Target customer profile
│   ├── interviews.json         # Interview notes
│   └── validation-status.json  # Progress tracking
├── research/
│   ├── competitors/            # Competitor analyses
│   ├── market/                 # Market data
│   └── trends/                 # Trend reports
├── mockups/                    # ASCII wireframes
├── prototype/                  # Interactive demo (Next.js)
├── pitch/                      # One-pager pitch
├── economics/                  # Business model analysis
├── validation/                 # Validation results
└── reports/                    # Full reports

Related Kits

Before: None — Idea OS is where you start

After:

• SaaS Dev Team — Build your validated idea
• PMF OS — Find product-market fit after launch
• Marketing OS — Get your first users

FAQ

Q: Do I need the paid integrations?

No. Idea OS works great with just WebSearch (free). Paid integrations add more precise data (exact traffic numbers, keyword rankings) but aren't required.

Q: How many interviews do I need?

Aim for 5-10 interviews minimum. Talk to potential customers, not friends or family.

Q: What if my idea fails validation?

That's a success! You saved months of building the wrong thing. Run /pivot for pivot suggestions, or start fresh with a new idea.

Q: Is this only for SaaS ideas?

No. Idea OS works for any business idea — SaaS, services, physical products, content businesses.