foundation-build-risk-review

Run a build risk review that places the request on a demand hierarchy from L0 (founder anxiety) to L4 (revenue or retention blocker). Building immediately is usually justified only at L3 or L4; below that, the review returns a validate or defer verdict with a concrete no-code next step.

The review names the single assumption most likely to make the idea fail, grades existing evidence on a weak-to-strong ladder, and prescribes a specific no-code validation step such as collecting a preorder or manually delivering the result for three users. It never recommends generic advice like building an MVP.

Strong signals include real files handed over, booked calls, preorders or deposits, repeated manual use, and switching from a paid alternative. Likes, compliments, waitlist signups, survey responses, and market-size numbers are explicitly graded as weak and do not count as demand.

Use a build risk review for forward-looking, pre-commitment decisions with little or no data. For a launched product where you are weighing usage or market feedback to decide whether to change direction, use the iterate-pivot-decision skill instead.

The review names the gap plainly and inlines the minimum version of the missing skill's output, such as a one-line testable hypothesis or a three-line experiment sketch. A verdict whose next step the user cannot execute is treated as an unfinished review.