The Idea Mechanic
The Idea Inspection20 questions

A free inspection for your business idea: every part graded, and the first fix named

Answer twenty plain questions about demand, price, costs, reach and the hours you have, and each part comes back graded runs, needs work or won’t start, with the one thing to fix first and the guide that shows how.

Inspect your idea

Your answers never leave your browser.

1Demand2Price3Costs4Reach5Time
Fig. 1These are the five the inspection takes apart, in the order to fix them.

How it works

  1. Answer twenty questions

    Four on each part: demand, price, costs, reach and time. Pick the answer that’s true today, not the one you’re planning. Not knowing is an answer too.

  2. Read the grades

    Each part comes back runs, needs work or won’t start. One answer that won’t start stops the whole part, the way one broken part stops an engine.

  3. Make the first fix

    The report names the one fix to make first and links the guide that covers it. Make it, answer again and see what changes.

  4. Print or save it

    One page with your grades, your fixes and the guides, without the menu or the pictures. Your answers never leave your browser.

The Idea InspectionInspection sheet

The five parts it checks

An idea can have four parts in good order and still not run because of the fifth. These are the five the inspection takes apart, in the order to fix them.

The Idea Inspection is twenty questions in five parts: demand, price, costs, reach and time. Each question has three answers, and each answer carries a grade; pick the one that’s true today. Every answer short of runs comes with its fix and the guide that covers it, and the figures in the fixes are examples to show the sums, not targets for your business.

How the grades work

  • Runs

    no fault on the answers you gave. Check it again when something changes.

  • Needs work

    it turns over, but not reliably. Fix it before you put more money in.

  • Won’t start

    this part stops the idea as it stands. Fix it before anything else, or change the idea.

A part takes the worst grade among its four answers: one answer that won’t start stops the part, the way one broken part stops an engine. The part’s fix is the fix of its first question with that grade.

The report names one fix to make first: the first part that won’t start, in the order demand, price, costs, reach, time, or, if none won’t start, the first that needs work. Demand comes first because a price, a cost sheet and a marketing plan for something nobody wants are all wasted work.

Inspection sheet0 of 20 answered

1Demand

Will anyone pay for it, and how do you know?

Whether anyone will pay, and how you know: who it’s for, what they use now, and whether anyone has put money down. Compliments don’t count; pre-orders do.

Grade: Not graded yet

1.1Who is it for?

FixPick one group you could find and talk to this week, by job, place or problem: “dog groomers in Columbus”, not “pet owners”. Everyone can’t be found, priced for or advertised to; a group can. How to validate a business idea · Validation guides

1.2Have you talked to people who have the problem?

FixHave ten short conversations with strangers in your group. Ask about the last time the problem came up, what they did about it and what that cost them, not whether they’d buy your idea: people are polite about ideas and honest about last Tuesday. If they don’t have the problem, find a group that does before you build anything. Customer interview questions · Validation guides

1.3What do they use now?

FixList the three things your customers use now, counting a spreadsheet, a friend who helps and doing nothing, with what each costs them. “Nothing like it” usually means nobody pays to solve this, or nobody has looked hard enough. If they’re happy with what they have, find the part they put up with: that’s where a new business gets in. How to validate a business idea · Validation guides

1.4Has anyone put money down?

FixAsk for a small commitment before you build: a pre-order, a deposit or a first job at full price, with a clear date and a full refund if you don’t go ahead. A waitlist is a start; money is the test. If nobody will commit, change the offer or the group and ask again. How to pre-sell a product · Validation guides

2Price

Is there a price, and does it hold up when people hear it?

Whether there’s a price, where it came from, what happened when people heard it, and what one sale pays you per hour. If nobody ever says it’s too much, it’s probably too little.

Grade: Not graded yet

2.1Have you set a price?

FixWrite one price down today, even a rough one: every other sum in this inspection (the margin, the break-even, the hours) is worked out from it. Free for now tests interest, not demand, so charge from the first customer. How to price a product · Money guides

2.2Where did the price come from?

FixPrice from both ends: what the alternative costs the customer, and what one sale costs you, including your time. If your cost is above what customers pay now, a discount won’t fix it; a different customer, product or way of making it might. How to price a product · Money guides

2.3What happened when people heard the price?

FixSay the price out loud to people in your group and watch what happens. If nobody ever says it’s too much, it’s probably too little; if most say no, ask what they’d pay and what they’d drop to get there. How to validate a business idea · Validation guides

2.4What does one sale pay you per hour?

FixTake the price, subtract what the sale costs you, and divide by the hours it takes, counting the emails, the admin and the drive. Example: a $45 sale with $15 in costs that takes two hours pays $15 an hour before tax. If that’s less than you’d take from a job, raise the price, cut the hours or sell something else. How to price a product · Money guides

3Costs

What does it cost to run, and how many sales cover it?

What one sale costs you, what the business costs each month whether you sell or not, what it takes to start, and how many sales a month cover it before you earn a dollar.

Grade: Not graded yet

3.1What does one sale cost you?

FixList everything that goes out each time you make a sale: materials, contractors, packaging, shipping, and the card or marketplace fees (card payments usually cost around 3% of the sale plus a small fixed fee; marketplaces often take more). Total it per sale. If it’s above the price, each sale loses money, and selling more only loses it faster. Why a business isn’t making money · Money guides

3.2What does it cost each month, sale or no sale?

FixGo through three months of bank and card statements and list every cost that comes round whatever you sell, then cut anything the first customers don’t need. A separate business account and a bookkeeping app make the total quick to check each month; the Toolbox has both. How to calculate your break-even point · Money guides

3.3What does it cost to start?

FixList what has to be paid before the first sale: equipment, stock, the website, registration and licenses, insurance and the first marketing. The SBA’s guide to startup costs and break-even walks through the sums. Then find the cheapest version that still lets you sell: start smaller rather than borrow what you couldn’t repay. Money guides

3.4How many sales a month cover the fixed costs?

FixDivide the monthly fixed costs by what’s left on each sale after its own costs: that’s your break-even. Example: $600 a month in fixed costs and $20 left on each sale means 30 sales a month before the business earns a dollar. Check that number against the pre-orders and the hours you have; if it’s out of reach, cut the fixed costs or raise what each sale leaves. How to calculate your break-even point · Money guides

4Reach

Can you get it in front of the people who’d buy it?

Where the first ten customers come from, whether that channel has been tried, whether you can say what you sell in one sentence, and whether a customer is worth more than it costs to win one.

Grade: Not graded yet

4.1Where will the first ten customers come from?

FixWrite down ten real people or places where your group already gathers and that you can reach this month: a trade group, a local forum, past clients, a market, a newsletter that covers them. A new business is rarely found by accident; the first customers come from someone you asked. How to get your first customers · Marketing guides

4.2Have you tried that channel?

FixTest one channel for a set time and a set budget, say four weeks, and count inquiries and sales, not likes. If a proper try brings nothing, change the channel or the offer before you spend more on it. How to get your first customers · Marketing guides

4.3Can you say what you sell in one sentence?

FixWrite one sentence: what it is, who it’s for and what it changes for them. Example: “Weekly bookkeeping for dog groomers, so the books are ready at tax time” works; “solutions for small businesses” doesn’t. Say it to five people in your group and ask them to tell you back what you do. How to get your first customers · Marketing guides

4.4Is a customer worth more than it costs to win one?

FixAdd up what you spent to win customers (ads, samples, fees, market stalls) and divide by how many came; compare it with what a customer leaves you after costs over every time they buy. Example: $40 left on a sale and $60 of ads to win each customer loses $20 a customer, unless they come back. Fix it with cheaper channels, a higher price or a reason to buy again. Why a business isn’t making money · Marketing guides

5Time

Do you have the hours, and can you last until it pays?

The hours you really have, the hours each sale takes, when the business needs to pay you, and whether your job’s contract allows it at all.

Grade: Not graded yet

5.1How many hours a week can you give it?

FixPut the hours in your calendar the way you would a shift: which evenings, which mornings, how many. Five hours you can count on every week do more than fifteen you hope to find. If there are none for now, park the idea with its notes and come back when there are. How to find time for a side hustle · Side hustle guides

5.2How many hours does one sale take?

FixTime a whole sale, start to finish: the messages, the making or the doing, the packing, the invoice. Example: 10 hours a week at 2 hours an order caps you at about 20 orders a month; if break-even is 30, it won’t run as it stands. Raise the price, cut the hours per sale, or sell something that takes less time. How to find time for a side hustle · Side hustle guides

5.3When does it need to pay you?

FixWrite down what the business has to pay you each month to make a difference, and the month it has to start. Count it after tax: the self-employed pay self-employment tax on top of income tax, so set part of every payment aside. If it has to replace your pay soon, keep the job until the business has paid that figure for several months in a row. Side hustle guides

5.4If you have a job, does your contract allow it?

FixRead your contract and the employee handbook for clauses on outside work, competing with your employer and who owns what you make, and keep the business off the employer’s time, equipment and customers. If anything is unclear, ask HR or an employment attorney before you start, not after the first sale. How to find time for a side hustle · Side hustle guides

Your report

1Demand2Price3Costs4Reach5Time
Fig. 2Your idea as graded: a part that won’t start, and the part to fix first, are drawn in red.
Fault diagnosis chart
PartRunsNeeds workWon’t startFirst fix for this part
1DemandRunsNeeds workWon’t start
2PriceRunsNeeds workWon’t start
3CostsRunsNeeds workWon’t start
4ReachRunsNeeds workWon’t start
5TimeRunsNeeds workWon’t start

First fix: —The first part that won’t start, in the order demand, price, costs, reach, time, or, if none won’t start, the first that needs work.

One page with your grades, your fixes and the guides, without the menu or the pictures. Your answers never leave your browser.

The Idea InspectionQuestions

Questions before you start

Is the Idea Inspection free?

Yes. There’s nothing to sign up for, download or pay, and nothing is sold on this page. The fixes link to our guides and to the Toolbox; some Toolbox links may earn The Idea Mechanic a commission, at no extra cost to you.

What happens to my answers?

They stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, and nothing is kept once you close the tab, so print the report or save it as a PDF before you go.

Does a grade of runs mean my business will work?

No. The inspection checks the parts you can check before you spend: whether there’s demand, whether the price and costs leave something over, whether you can reach customers, and whether you have the hours. A part that runs has no fault on the answers you gave. Markets, competitors and your own circumstances change, and no checklist can predict them. Demand you’ve tested with money tells you more than any grade on this page.

What if I don’t know an answer?

Pick the answer that says so. Not knowing usually grades needs work: it isn’t the end of the idea, but it’s the first thing to find out, and finding out is usually cheap. A few conversations, an afternoon with your receipts or a price said out loud answers most of these questions.

My business has launched and stalled. Is this for me?

Yes. Answer with your real figures instead of your plans: what a sale actually costs you, the price people actually paid, where your customers actually came from. A business that stalls often has one part that never ran, and fixing that part is usually cheaper than starting over.

How long does it take?

About ten minutes if you know your numbers, longer if you stop to look them up. Looking them up is time well spent: the price and cost questions are where a lot of ideas turn out not to run.

Does it work for a service, a product or an online store?

Yes. The questions are written for any small business that sells something: a service, something you make, a digital product or a store. If you sell your time, count what each job does cost you where a question mentions materials or shipping: software, travel, contractors, card fees.

Should I quit my job if every part runs?

The inspection can’t decide that for you, and it doesn’t try. The Time part asks the questions that matter for it: the hours you have, what the business needs to pay you and from when, and whether your contract allows it. One plain test before you hand in notice: has the business paid what you need to live on, month after month, while you still had the job?

Is this legal, tax or financial advice?

No. It’s a checklist built from standard small-business practice, not advice about your situation. Where a question touches taxes, startup costs or your employment contract, it points to the official source or says who to ask. For anything that depends on your state or your own figures, see an accountant or an attorney.

Where do the questions come from?

The site’s editors wrote them from standard small-business practice: customer conversations and pre-orders to test demand, unit costs and margins, break-even, the cost of winning a customer, and an honest count of the hours. The figures in the fixes are examples to show the sums, not targets for your business.

Can I inspect more than one idea?

Yes. Start again for each one, and print or save each report. Two reports side by side are a quick way to see which idea needs less fixing.

Find the broken part before you pay for new ones

Twenty questions, five grades and one fix to start with. Free, no sign-up, and your answers stay on your screen.

Inspect your idea