idea-validator
Stress-test book concepts against existing research before committing to architecture.
Overview
idea-validator
Stress-test book concepts against existing research before committing to architecture.
Purpose
This skill validates the intellectual merit of a book idea before investing significant time in structure and drafting. It surfaces weaknesses early—when they're cheap to fix or when killing the project saves months of wasted effort.
Better to kill a weak idea now than to finish a weak book later.
When to Use
- You have a Book Concept Document ready for validation
- You want to verify your thesis is defensible
- You need to understand the competitive intellectual landscape
- You want honest assessment of your idea's strengths and weaknesses
Pipeline Position
book-ideation → idea-validator → market-research → book-architect
Inputs: Book Concept Document from book-ideation
Outputs: Validation Report (Go/Revise/Kill) to market-research and
book-architect
Core Philosophy
- Intellectual honesty over ego validation — The goal is truth, not encouragement
- Two-layer research — Claude does landscape scans; user runs deep research with Claude-provided prompts
- Collaborative approval — Claude proposes, user approves, then proceed
- Brutal honesty — If a claim is weak, say so. If the whole idea should be killed, say so.
Documents Produced
Core (Always)
- Master Claim List
- Landscape Scan Notes
- Deep Research Log
- Competitor/Comp Title Analysis
- Decision Log
- Validation Report
Optional (Based on Book Type)
27 optional document types recommended based on book characteristics. See SKILL.md for full list.
Validation Report Recommendation
Each validation concludes with one of three recommendations:
| Recommendation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Go | Proceed to market-research and architecture |
| Revise | Return to book-ideation to address specific issues |
| Kill | Abandon this concept (or park for later) |
Usage
Claude.ai (Projects)
Add SKILL.md to your project's custom instructions or knowledge.
Claude Code
Place the idea-validator/ folder in your .claude/skills/ directory.
Related Skills
book-ideation— Develops raw ideas into structured Book Concept Documentsmarket-research— Validates commercial viability (downstream)book-architect— Designs book structure (downstream)
License
MIT