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Use the calculator →Free Tool · Validation
Micro SaaS Idea Scorecard
Pressure-test your next side project before committing six weeks to it. Score five dimensions in under two minutes and get an instant verdict, with optional AI analysis for positioning and risk. If you are still narrowing the right niche before scoring an idea, this pairs well with IkigaiNiche.
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Micro SaaS Idea Scorecard
Quickly pressure-test whether an idea deserves your next six weeks. The numeric score stays local; the written verdict comes from OpenAI.
Uses OpenAI through a serverless function. No database, no browser-exposed API key. For deeper niche discovery before scoring an idea, try IkigaiNiche.
How the score is calculated
The five dimensions are weighted by their impact on early-stage success. Pain is the most important (28%), if the problem is not real and urgent, nothing else matters. Willingness to pay comes second (22%), then audience reach and founder energy (18% each), and finally shipping speed (14%). The resulting score out of 100 is a quick signal, not a guarantee.
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If the idea scores well, back into a realistic price before you commit to building it.
Use the calculator →Frequently asked questions
How do I validate a SaaS idea?
Validate a SaaS idea by scoring it against five dimensions: pain strength, audience reach, willingness to pay, speed to first MVP, and your own founder energy. Each should score 7 or higher out of 10. Then confirm the pain with 5 to 10 real conversations before you write code, people saying "that's interesting" is not validation, "when can I pay" is.
What is a good SaaS idea score?
A total score above 35 out of 50 (70 percent) is the threshold where an idea is worth building. Below 30, at least one dimension is too weak to carry the product, usually reach or willingness to pay. Scores above 42 are rare, and typically mean the founder already has an unfair distribution or domain advantage.
What makes a good micro SaaS idea?
A good micro SaaS idea solves a sharp, recurring pain for a specific audience you can reach cheaply, at a price point where one painful problem is worth at least $15 to $50 per month to solve. It should also be something you can ship to first usable state in under 8 weeks of part-time work. Breadth kills micro SaaS, narrow wins.
How do I know if people will pay for my SaaS?
The strongest signal is existing spend, people already paying for spreadsheets, freelancers, manual processes, or competing tools to solve the problem. Pre-sell a founder's deal (50 percent off, lifetime) before you build. If you can't get 10 pre-orders for a painkiller at a discounted price, the willingness to pay is not there yet.
Should I build a SaaS idea with a low score?
Not without fixing the weakest dimension first. A low pain score means pivot the problem. A low reach score means you have no distribution plan, fix that before building. A low speed score means cut scope. Building through a weak score almost always ends with a product that works but nobody wants.
What's the difference between validating an idea and validating a niche?
Niche validation answers "is this audience worth serving at all", size, reach, willingness to pay. Idea validation answers "is this specific product the right thing to sell them." Nail the niche first, then the idea. Tools like IkigaiNiche handle niche; this scorecard handles idea.