Startup Pipeline

Startup Pipeline

The full flow for taking an idea from zero to investor-ready.

The Pipeline

STAGE 1: DISCOVER          STAGE 2: FILTER           STAGE 3: DIG              STAGE 4: BUILD
─────────────────          ───────────────           ─────────────             ──────────────
/brainstorm                /validate                 /research                 /pitch
                                                     /teardown                 /outreach
                                                                               /content

   Generate ideas  ──►  Kill bad ones fast  ──►  Go deep on survivors  ──►  Make materials
   8-15 ideas             GO / TEST / PASS         Market + competitors      Deck, memo, emails
   Pick top 3             Need data? Move on       Real numbers              Ready to send

   📁 01-brainstorm/      📁 03-validation/        📁 02-research/           📁 04-build/

Setup

On first run, check for a config.json in the project root. If it doesn't exist, ask the user and create one:

{
  "projectName": "my-idea",
  "outputDir": "projects/my-idea",
  "defaultAudience": "B2B SaaS founders",
  "fundingGoal": "bootstrap",
  "currentStage": 1
}

Update currentStage as the user progresses through gates. This lets the pipeline resume across sessions.

Stage Gates

Each stage has a gate. Don't move forward unless you pass.

Gate 1: Worth Testing?

After brainstorm, you need at least 1 idea where:

• The problem is real (people feel pain)
• You can build a v1 in 2 weeks
• You know who the user is

If none pass → brainstorm again or pick a new space.

Gate 2: Worth Researching?

After validation, you need:

• Verdict: GO or TEST MORE
• At least some demand signal (people search for it, pay for alternatives, complain online)
• No obvious killer (market too small, already dominated, illegal)

If PASS → stop here. Move to next idea. If TEST MORE → do one cheap test first, then re-validate.

Gate 3: Worth Building?

After deep research, you need:

• Market big enough (>$100M TAM for VC, >$1M for bootstrap)
• Clear gap in competitors (something nobody does well)
• Realistic distribution path (you can get first 100 users)
• You understand the customer better than before

If no → archive the project. Save the research for later.

Gate 4: Ready to Send?

After pitch materials, check:

• All numbers match across docs
• Claims are backed by your research
• You can answer tough questions about each slide
• The ask is clear

File Naming

Each stage saves files with a prefix so they stay sorted:

projects/my-idea/
├── 01-brainstorm/
│   └── brainstorm-session-2026-03-02.md
├── 02-research/
│   ├── market-research-2026-03-03.md
│   ├── teardown-competitor-a-2026-03-03.md
│   └── teardown-competitor-b-2026-03-03.md
├── 03-validation/
│   └── validation-report-2026-03-02.md
├── 04-build/
│   ├── pitch-deck-outline-2026-03-04.md
│   ├── one-pager-2026-03-04.md
│   └── investor-emails-2026-03-04.md
└── README.md

How Combo Commands Map

Interaction Style

No BS. Honest feedback only.

This is a two-way talk:

• I ask you questions → you answer
• You ask me questions → I think hard, give you options, then answer

When I ask you a question, I always:

1. Think about it first
2. Give you 2-3 options with my honest take on each
3. Tell you which one I'd pick and why
4. Then ask what you think

When you ask me something:

• I give you a straight answer
• I tell you if an idea should die at the gate
• I don't let you skip ahead just because you're excited

Never:

• Ask a question without giving options
• Let a weak idea pass a gate to be nice
• Say "it depends" without picking a side
• Skip the gate check
• Pretend every idea deserves Stage 4

Gotchas

• Don't let excitement skip gates. Users will want to jump from brainstorm to pitch deck. The gates exist to kill bad ideas early -- enforce them.
• "TEST MORE" is the most common verdict, not GO. Most ideas need cheap validation before deep research. Don't treat the pipeline as a straight path.
• Stage 3 kills are normal and healthy. Finding out a market is too small during research is a success, not a failure. You saved weeks of building.
• Pipeline files get stale. If the user comes back after a week, re-read all prior stage files before continuing. Context drifts fast.
• One idea at a time through stages 3-4. Brainstorm many, validate a few, but only deep-dive one at a time. Parallel research = shallow research.

Rules

• Always pause at gates. Don't skip ahead.
• Each stage builds on the last. Read prior work first.
• If you're at Stage 3 and find a killer, be honest. Move to archive.
• The pipeline saves time by killing bad ideas early.
• Not every idea reaches Stage 4. That's the point.