solo-validate

name	solo-validate
description	Score startup idea through S.E.E.D. niche check + STREAM 6-layer analysis + Devil's Advocate inversion, auto-pick stack, and generate PRD with acceptance criteria. Use when user says "validate idea", "score this idea", "should I build this", "go or kill", "generate PRD", or "evaluate opportunity". Do NOT use for deep research (use /research first) or decision-only framework (use /stream).
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"fortunto2","version":"2.1.1","openclaw":{"emoji":"✅"}}
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Bash, Glob, Write, Edit, AskUserQuestion, WebSearch, mcp__solograph__kb_search, mcp__solograph__project_info, mcp__solograph__web_search
argument-hint	[idea name or description]

/validate

Validate a startup idea end-to-end: search KB, run Manifest alignment, S.E.E.D. niche check, Devil's Advocate inversion, STREAM 6-layer analysis, pick stack, generate PRD.

Philosophy: Validation should be honest, not optimistic. Better to kill a bad idea in 5 minutes than waste 3 months building it. The goal is truth, not encouragement.

MCP Tools (use if available)

If MCP tools are available, prefer them over CLI:

• kb_search(query, n_results) — search knowledge base for related docs
• project_info() — list active projects with stacks
• web_search(query) — search for dead startups, competitor failures

If MCP tools are not available, fall back to Grep/Glob/WebSearch.

Steps

1. Parse the idea from $ARGUMENTS. If empty, ask the user what idea they want to validate.

2. Search for related knowledge: If MCP kb_search tool is available, use it directly:

   • kb_search(query="<idea keywords>", n_results=5) Otherwise search locally:
   • Grep for idea keywords in .md files across the project and knowledge base Summarize any related documents found (existing ideas, frameworks, opportunities).

3. Deep research (optional): Check if research.md exists for this idea (look in docs/ or the current working directory).

   • If it exists: read it and use findings to inform STREAM analysis and PRD filling (competitors, pain points, market size).
   • If it does not exist: ask the user if they want to run deep research first. If yes, tell them to run /research <idea> and come back. If no, continue without it.

4. Manifest Alignment Check (with teeth):

   Consult references/manifest-checklist.md (bundled with this skill) for the full checklist of 9 principles and 6 red flags. Check the idea against EACH one. This is not a formality — a manifest violation is a soft kill flag.

   For each principle, assess: comply or violate? If violating — cite the specific principle.

   Key principles (see checklist for details):

   1. Privacy-first / offline-first
   2. One pain -> one feature -> launch
   3. AI as foundation, not feature
   4. Speed over perfection (MVP in days)
   5. Antifragile architecture
   6. Money without overheating
   7. Against exploitation
   8. Subscription fatigue
   9. Creators, not robots

   Scoring: 0 violations = perfect, 1-2 = caution, 3+ = strong KILL signal.

   Be honest. If the idea conflicts with principles, SAY SO. Don't rationalize alignment.

5. S.E.E.D. niche check (quick, before deep analysis):

   Score the idea on four dimensions:

   • S — Searchability: Can you rank? Forums/Reddit in top-10, few fresh giants, no video blocks?
   • E — Evidence: Real pain with real quotes/URLs? Or hypothetical?
   • E — Ease: MVP in 1-2 days on existing stack? No heavy dependencies?

Important

• Do NOT skip the Devil's Advocate step (step 6). It is mandatory.
• Do NOT skip reading references/manifest-checklist.md and references/stream-layers.md (bundled with this skill). They contain the actual checklists.
• Quality and honesty are more important than speed. Take your time on steps 4, 6, and 7.
• A KILL recommendation is a valid and valuable outcome. It saves months of wasted effort.

When to use

• Before building anything non-trivial
• After /research or /swarm to score and generate PRD
• When deciding between multiple ideas (run on each, compare realistic scores)
• When friends ask for feedback on their startup (be honest, not nice)

Common Issues

S.E.E.D. kill flag triggered

Cause: Idea fails basic niche viability (SERP dominated, no evidence, MVP too complex). Fix: This is by design — kill flags save time. Consider pivoting the idea or running /research for deeper evidence.

No research.md found

Cause: Skipped /research step. Fix: Skill asks if you want to research first. For stronger PRDs, run /research <idea> before /validate.

Stack auto-detection wrong

Cause: Ambiguous product type (could be web or mobile). Fix: Skill asks via AskUserQuestion when ambiguous. Specify product type explicitly in the idea description.

Score seems too high

Cause: Confirmation bias — you found evidence FOR and stopped looking. Fix: Devil's Advocate step is now mandatory. If you skipped it, the score is invalid. Re-run with full inversion.

Manifest conflicts rationalized away

Cause: The idea is exciting but conflicts with principles. Fix: State conflicts explicitly. "This violates X because Y" is more useful than silence. The user decides whether to proceed — not the skill.