# Before You Build

> Pre-build product and feature risk review for founders, product managers, and AI-assisted builders. Use this skill when the user is about to build a landing page, MVP, SaaS product, internal tool, agent workflow, or major feature and needs to check demand, positioning, monetization, retention, trust, distribution, and adoption risk before implementation starts.

- Skill: `thedixitjain/before-you-build-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add thedixitjain/before-you-build-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/thedixitjain/before-you-build-2/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: thedixitjain (https://skillmd.com/u/thedixitjain)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/thedixitjain/before-you-build-2

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# Before You Build

Run a compact pre-mortem before implementation. The goal is not to block building; it is to identify the highest-risk assumption, the smallest validation step, and the build scope that should be delayed until evidence improves.

## When To Use

Use this skill when a user asks to build or ship:

- A new product, MVP, prototype, landing page, SaaS app, marketplace, content site, agent workflow, or internal tool
- A major feature with unclear adoption, revenue, retention, trust, or distribution impact
- A public launch asset where weak positioning could waste development or promotion effort

Skip this skill when the task is a narrow implementation fix, refactor, test repair, dependency update, or already-validated change with clear acceptance criteria.

## Risk Checklist

Review the idea across these risks:

- **Demand:** Is there evidence that a specific buyer or user urgently wants this?
- **Positioning:** Can the target user understand what it is and why it matters in one sentence?
- **Monetization:** Is there a credible path to payment, budget, or strategic value?
- **Retention:** Is there a reason users would return after the first try?
- **Trust:** Does the product require credibility, data access, integrations, or behavior change that users may resist?
- **Distribution:** Is there a repeatable way to reach the target user?
- **Feature adoption:** For feature work, will the feature change user behavior or just add surface area?

If the verdict is not obvious, use `references/risk-checklist.md` for deeper questions.

## Output Format

Keep the response short and decision-oriented:

1. **Risk verdict:** Low, medium, or high risk, with one sentence explaining why.
2. **Main assumption:** The single assumption most likely to break the project.
3. **Evidence to find first:** The smallest useful signal before building more.
4. **Do next:** One concrete validation step or reduced build scope.
5. **Delay:** What not to build yet.

## Guidance

- Be direct about weak evidence, but avoid dismissing the user's idea.
- Prefer smaller validation steps over large research plans.
- Separate product risk from engineering difficulty.
- If the idea is already validated, say what evidence makes it lower risk and suggest the smallest implementation slice.
- If facts are missing, name the missing evidence instead of inventing market claims.

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**Source:** [`wshobson/agents`](https://github.com/wshobson/agents) → `plugins/before-you-build/skills/before-you-build/SKILL.md`