Coming soon · for your brainstorms

Is this idea worth protecting?

Idea validation checks a brainstorm you have developed in five stages, from "is it ready?" to a formal patent search and what it means. Each stage has its own score, and a stage that passes opens the next. You get one staged, scored answer and a written report.

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Idea validation is not switched on yet. It will be offered separately from memberships, and is not included in a membership. Contact us for availability updates.

Why validate

Find out before you spend

A filing, a project grade or a pitch costs time and money. Idea validation tells you, with evidence, whether the idea is ready for that step.

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Before the money

Check the idea against what already exists before you pay for a filing or a project grade.

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Scored, stage by stage

Every stage is scored from 1 to 5 on its own measures. A stage that passes opens the next.

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Stops where it is weak

A stage that does not pass stops the run and names the weakest points, with one next action.

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Built on your brainstorm

It uses the idea, the experts and the evidence you already have, and the same searches and tools.

The five stages

Five stages, each with its own score

Each stage is scored against evidence, not against how well it reads. The last stage ends with one of three reads: strong, qualified or weak.

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Stage 0 · Pre-assessment

Is the idea ready to be assessed?
Readiness

What runs

  • arrow_right Checks the Idea score, and builds the idea up first if it is below the minimum
  • arrow_right Notes any thin or missing sections and carries them as stated limits
  • arrow_right A signal audit, a stress test and a gap analysis

Scored on

  • check_circle Problem and user
  • check_circle How it works
  • check_circle The stated advance
  • check_circle Risks faced
  • check_circle Evidence base
lock_openPass: early assessment opens. The idea is described well enough to check against what exists.
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Stage 1 · Early assessment

Is it new, and ahead of what exists?
First look

What runs

  • arrow_right A first prior-art search built from the idea
  • arrow_right Web research on the state of the art, with sources
  • arrow_right An early read on patentability

Scored on

  • check_circle Novelty against the closest references
  • check_circle Inventive step
  • check_circle Position against the state of the art
  • check_circle Subject matter and use
  • check_circle Evidence base
lock_openPass: comparative assessment opens. Nothing found so far takes away what is new.
compare

Stage 2 · Comparative assessment

Does anything come close, feature by feature?
Comparison

What runs

  • arrow_right A wider search
  • arrow_right Each result compared with the idea, feature by feature
  • arrow_right A patentability read against that comparison

Scored on

  • check_circle Novelty of each feature
  • check_circle Risk that two references combine
  • check_circle The highest threat found
  • check_circle Room left to claim
  • check_circle Evidence base
lock_openPass: the formal search opens. At least one core feature and its advantage remain open.
manage_search

Stage 3 · Formal search

Is the search sound enough to analyse?
Search quality

What runs

  • arrow_right A full patent-database search
  • arrow_right Built from the idea: a title, an abstract, a description, and search statements drawn from its features
  • arrow_right This stage judges the search, not the idea

Scored on

  • check_circle Coverage of every feature
  • check_circle Full text for each result
  • check_circle Relevance to the core features
  • check_circle Coverage of the jurisdiction
lock_openPass: post-search analysis opens. The search is complete enough to rely on.
balance

Stage 4 · Post-search analysis

What does it mean?
The read

What runs

  • arrow_right Each formal result weighed for its impact on the idea
  • arrow_right A full patentability assessment
  • arrow_right The read: strong, qualified or weak

Scored on

  • check_circle Novelty against the formal results
  • check_circle Inventive step
  • check_circle Threat from the closest references
  • check_circle Subject matter and use
  • check_circle Evidence base
checkDone. The Idea Validation Report is saved in the brainstorm's Documents.

Two ways to run it

Manual or automatic

Switch between them at any time during a run.

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Manual

You read each stage's score and findings, then choose when to continue. If the idea is below the minimum score, you see what to add first.

fast_forward

Automatic

The run builds the idea up if it needs to, continues on its own while stages pass, and stops at the first stage that does not.

When a stage does not pass

One clear next step

The run stops, names the weakest points, and gives one recommendation with one concrete action.

handyman

Refine

Strengthen the idea where it is weakest, then run the validation again.

u_turn_right

Pivot

Change direction with a PIVOT and keep the work you have done so far.

manage_search

Search again

When the formal search was not sound. This does not mean the idea failed.

How it keeps the answer honest

Built to be straight with you

push_pin

The idea is fixed for the run

The run records the version it checks. Edit the idea mid-run and the run stops, so the result always matches the idea.

rule

Gaps are stated

Thin and missing sections are listed first, and carried as limits into every stage and the report.

verified

Scored against evidence

A stage passes only when every measure is scored against evidence. A well-written read is not enough.

recycling

Current work is reused

A signal audit, stress test or search already done for this version of the idea is used again.

What you get

A read, and a written report

balance

The read at the end

  • check_circle Strong. A high score against the formal patent search.
  • error Qualified. It passes, with the conditions named.
  • cancel Weak. Below the pass mark, with the reasons.
description

The Idea Validation Report

Saved in the brainstorm's Documents when the run ends, including a run that stops early.

  • check The idea as checked, its score, and its thin or missing sections
  • check The evidence collected, and every stage score
  • check The early, comparative, formal search and post-search findings
  • check The outcome and the next step
  • check The basis and limits, and any stage not run and why

Who it is for

Anyone who needs an answer before the next step

rocket_launch

Inventors and founders

Before paying for a filing or pitching to investors.

storefront

Small and medium firms

To choose which improvement deserves a filing budget.

account_balance

Universities and labs

To sort research results before a disclosure goes further.

Questions

Asked and answered

When can I use it? add
Idea validation is being built now. Contact us for availability updates.
Who will be able to use it? add
It will be a separate offering, not part of a membership. Its price will be published when it opens.
Do I need a brainstorm first? add
Yes. It checks a brainstorm you have developed. If the Idea score is below the minimum, automatic mode builds the idea up first, and manual mode shows you what to add.
What if I edit the idea during a run? add
The run records the version of the idea it checks. If you edit the idea, the run stops, so the result always matches the idea it describes.
Does a failed stage mean my idea failed? add
Not always. The run names the weakest points and one next action: refine, pivot, or search again. A formal search that was not sound is a reason to search again, not a verdict on the idea.
Is it a legal opinion? add
No. Idea validation is educational and is not legal advice. It does not assess freedom to operate, and it does not replace a qualified patent attorney.

Find out before you spend.

Develop your idea in a brainstorm now. When idea validation opens, it will be ready to check.

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Idea validation is coming soon. Educational, not legal advice.