For US founders building with AI

The Paul Graham Idea Test: Done by AI in 2 Minutes

Paul Graham's essays defined how a generation of founders evaluate startup ideas: schlep blindness, organic vs made-up ideas, the upwind / downwind test, and the question of whether you're solving a problem you actually have. Idea Bob runs a 6-stage AI pressure test based on these exact frameworks, free.

  • 6-stage pressure test inspired by Paul Graham's essays and YC interview questions
  • Identifies schlep blindness, made-up problems, and weak founder-market fit
  • Returns a brutally honest GO / REFINE / KILL verdict in under 2 minutes
  • Free to run on any idea: no credit card, no signup wall on the demo

What Paul Graham actually looks for in a startup idea

Across 200+ essays, PG returns to a small set of tests: Is it an idea you'd use yourself? Is it a problem you have, or a problem you imagined other people might have? Is it a "schlep", annoying enough that nobody else wants to do it? Does it sit upwind of where the world is heading?

These tests are simple but founders almost never run them honestly on their own ideas. Idea Bob runs them adversarially: the AI is prompted to find reasons the idea will fail, not to flatter you.

The 6 stages of the pressure test

Stage 1: Problem Reality. Is this a real problem or a made-up one? Stage 2: Founder-Market Fit. Do you have unfair insight? Stage 3: Schlep Test. Is this annoying enough that incumbents avoid it? Stage 4: Upwind Test. Does this benefit from a trend that's growing? Stage 5: Distribution Reality. Can you actually reach the people who have this problem? Stage 6: Synthesis. Final GO / REFINE / KILL verdict with reasoning.

Each stage runs as a separate AI call so reasoning compounds rather than collapsing into one shallow take. Results render in a scrollable dialog you can export as a PDF.

Why an AI pressure test beats asking friends

Friends are biased: they want to encourage you. Reddit is biased the other way: it wants to call everything a wrapper. The AI pressure test is calibrated to be honest: trained on the actual standards top accelerators use, with no social cost for being harsh.

It's not a replacement for talking to real customers. It's the filter that decides whether your idea is worth those customer conversations in the first place.

Frequently asked questions

Is the pressure test really free?

Yes. You get the full 6-stage pressure test on the free plan. Hobbyist ($12/mo USD, or $10/mo billed yearly) adds 25 AI analyses a month and market research. Builder ($29/mo USD billed yearly, or $49 billed monthly) adds unlimited analyses and Competitive Gap Analysis.

Is this affiliated with Paul Graham or Y Combinator?

No. Idea Bob is an independent tool. The framework is inspired by publicly available PG essays and Y Combinator interview patterns, but it is not endorsed by or affiliated with either.

How harsh is the AI?

Calibrated to be useful, not crushing. It will tell you exactly which dimension your idea is weakest on and what would need to change to pass. About 40% of ideas get a GO, 35% REFINE, and 25% KILL.

Can I export the results?

Yes. Every pressure test exports as a branded PDF with your project name in the filename. Perfect for sharing with co-founders or advisors.

Ready to score your idea?

9 dimensions · 60-second scoring · Free to start, no credit card.