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@latest init idea-os ~/my-idea
cd ~/my-idea
claude
> /setup
Requirements
- Claude Code — Get it here
- Node.js 18+ (for CLI)
Kits are powered by Claude Code. Install Claude Code first, then use our CLI to download kits.
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
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/setup | Define your idea, problem, customer |
/research | Run full deep research (competitors, market, trends) |
/competitors | Detailed competitor analysis |
/market | Market sizing, trends, opportunity analysis |
/gaps | Find market gaps and underserved segments |
/mockup | Generate ASCII wireframes for customer conversations |
/prototype | Generate interactive Next.js prototype with mock data |
/pitch | Generate one-pager pitch summary |
/interviews setup | Generate Mom Test interview questions |
/interviews add | Add notes from a customer interview |
/interviews analyze | Analyze collected interviews |
/validate problem | Is the problem real and painful? |
/validate solution | Is your solution wanted? |
/pmf | Product-Market Fit scoring (synthesizes everything) |
/economics | Full business economics analysis |
/report | Generate full validation report |
/next | What to do next? |
Knowledge
- Mom Test interview principles
- Competitor analysis frameworks
- Market sizing methodologies
- Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework
Optional Integrations
| Integration | Cost | What It Powers |
|---|---|---|
| WebSearch | FREE | Basic research (always available) |
| Ahrefs | $99-199/mo | SEO data, competitor traffic |
| Firecrawl | $19/mo | Structured competitor scraping |
| ForumScout | ~$30/mo | Social listening, sentiment |
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:
- Problem Validation — Is the problem real and painful?
- Solution Validation — Do people want YOUR solution?
- Market Validation — TAM, SAM, SOM, trends
- Competition Validation — Can you win?
- 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:
-
Ask about the past, not the future
- Good: "When did you last have this problem?"
- Bad: "Would you use this if I built it?"
-
Ask for specifics, not opinions
- Good: "Show me how you do this today"
- Bad: "Do you think this is a good idea?"
-
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
- Product 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.