The SHIP Score: How to Pressure Test Any Startup Idea in 30 Minutes

Most startup advice tells you to "just build it and see what happens."

That's terrible advice.

Building a product takes weeks or months of your time, potentially thousands of dollars, and a massive amount of emotional energy. You deserve better than "just build it."

The SHIP Score is a structured framework for evaluating any product idea across 10 critical dimensions, giving you a score out of 50 and a clear verdict.

The 10 Dimensions

1. Market Clarity (1-5)

Can you clearly define who your customer is? Not "everyone" or "small businesses" — a specific person with a specific problem in a specific context.

Score 5: You can name 10 people who would buy this today. Score 1: You're building for "anyone who needs this."

2. Problem Severity (1-5)

Is this a painkiller or a vitamin? Painkillers solve urgent problems people will pay to fix now. Vitamins are nice-to-haves that sit in the App Store graveyard.

Score 5: People are actively searching for solutions and spending money on inferior alternatives. Score 1: "It would be cool if..." — nobody is losing sleep over this problem.

3. Differentiation (1-5)

Why would someone pick your solution over what already exists? And "it's cheaper" or "it's built with AI" are not differentiators.

Score 5: Clear, defensible advantage that competitors can't easily replicate. Score 1: You're building a commodity product with no unique positioning.

4. Distribution (1-5)

How will customers find you? "We'll do SEO and social media" is not a distribution strategy. You need a specific, testable channel.

Score 5: You have a built-in audience, partnership, or channel that gives you unfair access to customers. Score 1: You're relying on going viral or "word of mouth."

5. Pricing (1-5)

Can you charge enough to build a real business? This isn't about being expensive — it's about unit economics that work.

Score 5: Clear pricing model with willingness to pay validated by existing spending patterns. Score 1: "We'll figure out monetization later."

6. Unit Economics (1-5)

Does the math work at scale? Customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, gross margins — the numbers that determine whether growth kills you or saves you.

Score 5: LTV/CAC ratio > 3:1, clear path to profitability. Score 1: You haven't modeled the economics at all.

7. Execution Risk (1-5)

Can you actually build and deliver this? Not "can AI build this?" — can you, with your skills and resources, ship a working product?

Score 5: Well within your capabilities, clear tech stack, no dependencies on unproven technology. Score 1: Requires expertise you don't have and can't afford to hire.

8. Founder Fit (1-5)

Are you the right person to build this? Do you have domain knowledge, passion, and the ability to stick with it for years?

Score 5: Deep domain expertise, personal motivation, unfair advantages. Score 1: You picked this idea because it seemed profitable, not because you care.

9. Timing (1-5)

Is the market ready for this now? Too early is the same as wrong. Too late means you're competing with established players.

Score 5: Market conditions, technology, and cultural trends are converging right now. Score 1: You're either 5 years too early or 5 years too late.

10. Data Feasibility (1-5)

Can you get the data you need? If your product depends on data — APIs, datasets, user-generated content — can you actually access it?

Score 5: Data sources are available, affordable, and reliable. Score 1: Your product depends on data you can't access or afford.

The Verdicts

Add up your scores across all 10 dimensions:

• 42-50: SHIP IT — Strong idea with clear advantages. Proceed to build.
• 34-41: PROMISING — Good foundation, but fix your weak dimensions first.
• 25-33: RISKY — Major concerns in multiple areas. Consider pivoting.
• Below 25: SINK IT — Kill the idea. Your time is worth more than this.

How to Use the Score

1. Be honest. The score is useless if you give yourself 5s everywhere. The point is to find weaknesses before they become expensive.
2. Score with evidence. For each dimension, write down why you gave that score. "I think people will pay" is a 2. "I talked to 15 potential customers and 8 said they'd pay $49/month" is a 4.
3. Re-score after research. Your initial score is a hypothesis. After doing competitor research and customer interviews, score again. The delta tells you whether your research made the idea stronger or weaker.
4. Don't fall in love with your score. A 44 doesn't mean guaranteed success. A 28 doesn't mean the idea is worthless. The score is a thinking tool, not a prophecy.

The Bottom Line

The best founders don't build the most products — they build the right products. The SHIP Score gives you a structured way to evaluate any idea before you invest time, money, and energy building it.

Score first. Build second.