How do you determine if your idea is truly worth pursuing? In this week’s episode, we dive into a practical framework that breaks down the evaluation process into four critical components: the pain point, the market size, the defensibility of your product, and how you plan to monetize and scale.

Whether you're just brainstorming or already building, these criteria will help you gut-check your concept and avoid wasting time on ideas that aren’t big - or painful - enough. We also discuss market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), moats, and why competitive advantage isn’t always what it seems. This is a must-listen for any founder looking to go from “cool idea” to real business.

Links:

• Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
• Book: The Fundraising Rules
• MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

Chapter Markers:

00:00 – Intro: Why Idea Validation Is So Hard

02:00 – The Real Question: Do You Have a Big Idea?

03:00 – The 4-Part Framework for Validating an Idea

03:45 – Step 1: Pain Point – Is This a Must-Have?

06:00 – Step 2: Market Size – TAM, SAM, SOM Explained

09:40 – Step 3: Product – Is It Defensible?

12:10 – Step 4: Monetization – Can It Scale?

15:10 – Final Thoughts: Gut-Check Your Idea

16:30 – Outro: Still Learning After Decades in the Game