Evidence-weighted idea assessment
Under Pressure: pressure-test the idea before you bet on it.
Turn a business idea, website or pitch into a cited assessment of customer need, market potential, differentiation, economics and execution risk.
Published frameworks · Current research · Transparent uncertainty
Live evaluation starter
Paste your idea. Get an evidence-weighted read.
Describe the business in a sentence or two. Proof Lab plans the research, audits the sources, and returns a scored memo with cited signals and next experiments.
- Idea Readiness Score with uncertainty range
- Conviction Map across ten dimensions
- Cited public sources, never fabricated
The Conviction Map
Every idea plotted by attractiveness and evidence.
Ten weighted dimensions land in one of four zones — Strong Signal, Test Next, Attractive but Unproven, or Weak or Contradicted — so you see not just what looks good, but what is actually backed by evidence.
Likely range 56–69
Evidence Confidence Grade CMaterial Assumptions Remain
Evaluation lenses
Ten founder & investor frameworks, applied as lenses.
Each lens carries its own questions, sources, limitations and confidence. No impersonation, no endorsements — only published principles.
YC Problem & User Lens
Grade BIs this a hair-on-fire problem a specific person has now?
Best for: All
Customer Discovery Lens
Grade AHave you talked to enough real users to test demand?
Best for: All
Contrarian & Defensibility Lens
Grade BWhat is true that others disagree on, and is it defensible?
Best for: Venture, Deep tech
Customer Obsession Lens
Grade BDoes the roadmap start from the customer backwards?
Best for: Consumer, SaaS
Founder-Market Fit Lens
Grade BWhy this team, and why now?
Best for: All
Network & Scale Lens
Grade CDo network effects or scale economies compound over time?
Best for: Marketplace, Consumer
Distribution & Growth Lens
Grade BIs there a credible, repeatable path to the first customers?
Best for: All
Technology & Timing Lens
Grade BHas an enabling shift made this newly possible or necessary?
Best for: AI, Deep tech, Fintech
Product & Community Lens
Grade CDoes the product create belonging and retention, not just usage?
Best for: Consumer, Media
Economic Quality Lens
Grade BDo gross margins, LTV and payback improve as you scale?
Best for: SaaS, Fintech, Ecommerce
Methodology
An Idea Readiness Score, not a probability of success.
Ten weighted dimensions roll up to a 0–100 score that reflects the strength of an idea's current evidence and strategic readiness. Weights adapt to business type, stage and funding strategy. Missing evidence is marked, never scored as zero.
How scoring works →Problem Severity
Frequent, costly problem reported across independent sources.
Customer Evidence
Founder assertions and small survey; no committed buyers yet.
Market and Timing
Growing category with regulatory tailwinds.
Solution and Value Proposition
Clear value statement; differentiation vs. incumbents is narrow.
Differentiation and Defensibility
Switching costs low; no proprietary data moat identified yet.
Distribution and Growth
Acquisition channel unproven; CAC assumptions unverified.
Business Model and Economics
Unit economics modelled, not yet observed in operation.
Founder-Market Fit
Relevant domain background; limited operating track record.
Execution Feasibility
Technical scope is achievable; hiring plan is optimistic.
Risk, Regulation and Ethics
Material regulatory ambiguity in target markets.
Pricing
Pay for evidence, not for hype.
Every plan includes the full cited report. One-off evaluations are available without a subscription — cancel any time.
Free
Run a light assessment on one idea.
- 1 evaluation / month
- Idea Readiness Score
- Top 3 strongest signals
- Conviction Map
Founder
PopularDeep evaluations with full cited reports.
- 10 deep evaluations / month
- Full framework lenses
- Red-team & bull-case analysis
- Validation experiments
- Compare idea versions
Team
For teams comparing many opportunities.
- Unlimited evaluations
- Shared idea library
- Custom rubric weights
- Exportable memos
- Priority research depth
Questions
Straight answers before you commit.
What an evaluation covers, where the evidence comes from, and what Proof Lab is not.
Read the full methodology →What do I get from an evaluation?+
A cited, evidence-weighted report: an Idea Readiness Score with an uncertainty range, a conviction map across every dimension, the strongest supporting signals, the weakest assumptions, five investor objections with suggested responses, recommended validation experiments and a clear next-stage recommendation.
Where does the evidence come from?+
Industry reports, regulatory filings, published market research, competitor materials and anything you provide — customer research, traction data or a pitch deck. Every material claim in the report carries a citation you can check yourself.
Is this investment or financial advice?+
No. Proof Lab is a research and analytical tool. It pressure-tests the reasoning and evidence behind an idea. It does not tell you to invest, and it does not endorse any idea or the frameworks' authors.
How long does an evaluation take?+
Most evaluations complete within a few minutes. Larger submissions with a pitch deck or website audit can take a little longer while the research runs.
Do I need a website or pitch deck?+
Neither is required. A plain-language description of the idea is enough. If you have a live site or deck, including them makes the positioning and market analysis sharper.
What you'll get
A cited, evidence-weighted report — not a vibe check.
Every evaluation returns an Idea Readiness Score with an uncertainty range, a conviction map across every dimension, investor objections, quick-win experiments, and cited sources you can verify.
Evaluate My IdeaEvaluation report
Nookstash — peer-to-peer backyard storage marketplace
Material Assumptions Remain
Likely range 56–69
Evidence Confidence Grade CMaterial Assumptions Remain
Dimensions
3 cited sources · every material claim referenced