w932635477-bit/validate-idea

Cross-market idea validation for indie builders.
Real data from Chinese + English markets · strict scoring · bilingual report.
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The killer angle
Most idea-validation tools look at **one** market. This one pulls real signals from **both** the Chinese and English markets at once, then tells you the uncomfortable truth: **your pain is probably already solved in the other market.** Real demand ≠ real opportunity.
> Sample verdict — *cross-border payments tool*: Global **45/100**, China **61/100** → both red oceans → **don't build**. Three months of code, saved.
Install (Claude Code skill)
Then just describe your idea in Claude Code ("validate this idea: …") and the skill fires. **Zero LLM API key** — the Claude running the skill *is* the scorer.
How it works
This repo ships the **data layer** only: 7 fetchers covering search / community / competitor across both markets. Scoring and the bilingual report are produced by your Claude reading the fetched JSON — that's why no API key is needed.
Data sources
| Dimension | Chinese market | English market |
|---|---|---|
| search | Firecrawl | Firecrawl |
| community | Zhihu (cookie) | HN / Lobsters / pullpush (Reddit) |
| competitor | Baidu | Brave (key) + HN Show HN fallback |
Every fetcher fails independently (ok:false) and never blocks the others. Missing data is reported honestly, never invented.
Sample reports
Real runs in docs/demos/:
- **Cross-border payments** — don't build (Global 45 / China 61, both red oceans)
- **AI weekly report** — build, but China only
- **AI PR review bot** — don't build (giants + open source + platform-native)
- **Interview repo quarantine** — real pain (DPRK "Contagious Interview"), but Socket.dev already owns it → niche wedge only
Configure (all optional)
- FIRECRAWL_API_KEY — search dimension (both markets). Recommended, best data.
- ZHIHU_COOKIE — Chinese community (Zhihu).
- HTTPS_PROXY — needed in China to reach English sources.
- BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY — English competitors (HN Show HN backstops if absent).
FAQ
- **The skill doesn't trigger** — restart Claude Code so it rescans ~/.claude/skills/.
- **English sources return nothing** — set HTTPS_PROXY if you're behind the GFW.
- **Zhihu returns 403** — Zhihu anti-scrape; paste a fresh login cookie into ZHIHU_COOKIE.