What problem does it solve? Deciding whether to build a free tool (calculator, generator, analyzer) as a marketing channel is risky without a framework — teams over-engineer, pick the wrong tool type, or fail to connect the tool to their product. This Skill provides a structured strategy for planning, validating, and scoping engineering-as-marketing tools. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Ideation & Validation Framework: Generate tool ideas from audience pain points and validate them against search demand, uniqueness, lead quality, and build feasibility. - Evaluation Scorecard: Score tool concepts across eight factors (search demand, audience match, link-building potential, etc.) with clear go/no-go thresholds. - Lead Capture & Gating Strategy: Choose between fully gated, partially gated, and ungated approaches with tradeoff analysis. - Real Case Benchmarks: Reference named cases (Unsplash, HubSpot Website Grader, Moz, Buffer, Shopify) with actual conversion numbers to set expectations. - Use Case: A SaaS company debating between an SEO audit tool and a keyword research tool can apply the scorecard to compare both options, define an MVP scope, and pick a gating strategy. ## Quick Start Help me evaluate whether building a free ROI calculator is worth it for our HR software and outline the MVP scope and lead capture strategy.
