Hey Lykkers! So you’ve got the idea. That lightbulb moment that won’t leave you alone.

You find yourself sketching it on napkins, talking about it at dinner, and dreaming about what it could become. It feels exciting, meaningful… but is it actually a good business plan, or just a good idea?

Many brilliant ideas never make it off the napkin because they’re missing the sturdy frame of a viable business. The good news? You don’t need an MBA or a 50-page document to find out. You just need to ask five honest questions. Let's grab a coffee and walk through this simple, powerful test together.

<h3>Question 1: Who Will Actually Pay for This? (The Customer Clarity Check)</h3>

This isn't about "everyone" or "people who like cool things." You need a specific person in mind. Are they a busy parent? A frustrated small business owner? A fitness newbie?

"The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else," says Eric Ries, The Lean Startup (2011). Nail this first. If you can't picture someone opening their wallet, the idea isn't ready.

<h3>Question 2: How Will They Find You? (The Reality of Marketing)</h3>

Think of this as building a bridge between your product and your customer. Will they find you on Instagram? Through an internet search? At a local market?

If your answer is "viral social media," dig deeper. Marketing expert Seth Godin famously puts it: "Don't find customers for your products, find products for your customers." This means understanding where your specific customer already spends their time and attention, and meeting them there. If you don’t know, your plan has a major blind spot.

<h3>Question 3: Can You Make It for Less Than You Sell It? (The Math That Matters)</h3>

This is the moment of truth. Crunch the hard numbers: cost of materials, labor, packaging, website hosting, payment processing fees—everything. Now, what can you realistically charge?

<h3>Question 4: What Makes You Different? (The Standout Test)</h3>

Look at your competitors. Now, look at your idea. What do you offer that they don’t? Is it better quality, a unique feature, personalized service, or a compelling story?

<h3>Question 5: Do You Have the Right Team? (The Founder Fitness Exam)</h3>

Be brutally honest with yourself. Do you have the skills to build this? If not, do you have a co-founder who does? An idea for a complex app is not a plan if you're not a developer and can't hire one.

Lykkers, passing this test doesn’t guarantee success—but failing it almost guarantees struggle. These five questions transform a spark of inspiration into a blueprint you can build on. They turn "I have an idea" into "I have a plan."

So, grab that napkin again. Answer these questions honestly. Your future self will thank you for doing the hard thinking now.