The SaaS Idea Filter: 9 Questions That Separate Winners from Time-Wasters

You've got a SaaS idea. Maybe it came from a conversation with a frustrated colleague. Maybe you noticed a gap while using another tool. Maybe it hit you at 2 AM and you've been thinking about it ever since.

But here's the problem: most SaaS ideas feel exciting at first, then slowly reveal themselves as time-wasters after you've already invested weeks or months.

The difference between successful founders and those who burn out isn't the quality of their initial ideas—it's their ability to filter bad ideas quickly. While most developers spend three months building something nobody wants, smart founders spend three hours asking the right questions.

This article gives you a nine-question filter that separates profitable saas ideas from expensive learning experiences. Use it before you open your code editor, before you design a single mockup, before you tell anyone about your "brilliant" concept.

Why Most SaaS Idea Evaluation Methods Fail

Before we dive into the filter, let's acknowledge why you're probably not using one already.

Most validation advice falls into two camps: either it's so thorough it requires months of research (which you'll skip), or it's so superficial it gives false confidence ("I asked five friends and they all said they'd use it!").

The SaaS idea validation checklist approach works, but 25 questions feels overwhelming when you're excited about building. The 30-minute scoring system helps with speed, but doesn't force you to confront the hard truths.

What you need is a filter that's quick enough to actually use, but brutal enough to kill bad ideas before they kill your momentum.

The 9-Question SaaS Idea Filter

These nine questions are ordered deliberately. Each one eliminates a specific category of doomed ideas. Answer them honestly, in sequence, and you'll save yourself from the most common pitfalls that plague indie hackers.

Question 1: Can You Describe the Problem in One Sentence Without Using Jargon?

Why this matters: If you can't explain the problem simply, your target customers probably don't think about it clearly either. Fuzzy problems don't generate urgent buying behavior.

What you're testing: Problem clarity and specificity.

Red flags:

• You need to explain context before describing the problem
• The problem statement includes words like "optimize," "streamline," or "enhance"
• Different people interpret your problem description differently
• You're solving a problem that people don't know they have

Good examples:

• "Freelancers lose track of billable hours when switching between projects"
• "Marketing agencies can't prove ROI to clients without manual spreadsheet work"
• "Remote teams struggle to find who's available for urgent questions"

Bad examples:

• "Businesses need better workflow optimization"
• "Teams lack visibility into cross-functional alignment"
• "Organizations require enhanced productivity solutions"

If you're struggling here, spend time in the spaces where your target users congregate. Read what they actually say about their problems. Check out our guide on mining support forums for validated ideas to see how real users articulate their pain points.

Question 2: Do People Currently Pay Money to Solve This Problem?

Why this matters: The best predictor of future payment is current payment. If nobody pays to solve this problem today, you're not discovering an opportunity—you're trying to create a market.

What you're testing: Market validation and willingness to pay.

How to verify:

• Search for existing solutions (even partial ones)
• Look for consulting services addressing this problem
• Check if people buy books, courses, or templates about it
• See if companies hire full-time employees to handle it
• Find evidence of budget allocation in job descriptions

Red flags:

• "Nobody has built this yet" (usually means nobody will pay)
• "People solve this manually for free" (they might prefer free)
• "It's a nice-to-have" (nice-to-haves don't generate revenue)
• "Once they see it, they'll want it" (you're not Steve Jobs)

Exception: The only time "nobody pays for this" is acceptable is when you've found a problem that recently became urgent due to regulatory changes, new technology, or market shifts. Learn more about mining regulatory changes for opportunities.

Question 3: Can You Reach 1,000 Potential Customers Without Paid Ads?

Why this matters: Distribution kills more SaaS products than bad ideas. If you can't reach your target market organically, you're betting your success on paid acquisition—which means you need significant capital and unit economics that work at scale.

What you're testing: Distribution feasibility and market accessibility.

Ways to reach customers without ads:

• They congregate in specific online communities you can access
• They read specific publications where you can contribute
• They attend specific events or conferences
• They follow specific influencers who might share your solution
• They search for specific keywords you can rank for
• They belong to professional associations with directories
• You have existing connections in this market

Red flags:

• "I'll figure out distribution later"
• "I'll just use SEO" (without specific keyword research)
• "It'll go viral" (it won't)
• "I'll cold email everyone" (low conversion, high burnout)
• Your target market is "small business owners" or "entrepreneurs" (too broad)

Practical test: Before building anything, try to have ten conversations with potential customers. If you can't find ten people to talk to, you definitely can't find 1,000 people to sell to.

Our article on finding SaaS ideas people already want to buy explores how to identify markets with built-in distribution channels.

Question 4: Is This a Painkiller or a Vitamin?

Why this matters: Painkillers solve urgent, active problems. Vitamins provide general improvement. People buy painkillers immediately; vitamins require education and habit formation.

What you're testing: Purchase urgency and sales cycle length.

Painkiller indicators:

• People actively search for solutions right now
• The problem causes measurable losses (time, money, customers)
• There's a specific trigger event that creates urgency
• People complain about this problem regularly
• Solving it provides immediate relief

Vitamin indicators:

• Benefits are cumulative or long-term
• "You should probably do this" rather than "I need this now"
• Results are hard to measure
• Requires behavior change or new habits
• Sounds like self-improvement

The honest test: If someone has this problem today, will they still have it tomorrow? If yes, it's probably a vitamin. If the problem gets worse with time or has deadline pressure, it's a painkiller.

Example painkiller: A tool that recovers accidentally deleted files before they're permanently lost.

Example vitamin: A tool that helps you organize your files better to prevent future problems.

Both might be viable businesses, but painkillers sell themselves while vitamins require constant marketing. For your first micro saas idea, choose the painkiller.

Question 5: Can You Build a Minimum Viable Version in Under 40 Hours?

Why this matters: The longer you spend building before getting customer feedback, the more likely you are to build the wrong thing. Speed to validation beats perfection.

What you're testing: Technical feasibility and scope discipline.

A viable MVP includes:

• One core workflow that solves the primary problem
• Manual processes for everything else
• Basic authentication and data storage
• Minimal UI that's functional, not beautiful
• No integrations (unless integration IS the core value)

Red flags:

• "I need to build X, Y, and Z before anyone can use it"
• "The AI model needs to be trained on thousands of examples"
• "Users won't take it seriously without polish"
• "I need to integrate with five different platforms"
• "The real value comes from the advanced features"

If your idea requires months of development before you can get feedback, you're not building a SaaS—you're conducting a very expensive research project.

Check out our list of 40 SaaS ideas you can build in a weekend for inspiration on scoping aggressively.

Question 6: Would You Pay for This Solution Yourself?

Why this matters: If you wouldn't pay for it, why would anyone else? This question cuts through rationalization faster than any other.

What you're testing: Personal conviction and value perception.

Be brutally honest:

• Not "would it be nice to have"
• Not "would I use it if it were free"
• Not "would I pay $5/month"
• But: "Would I pay what this actually needs to cost to be a sustainable business?"

The pricing reality check: Most B2B micro-SaaS needs to charge $29-99/month minimum to be worth building. Most B2B SaaS targeting companies needs to charge $200-500/month minimum. Would you personally pay that amount for this solution?

Red flags:

• "I would pay for it, but not that much"
• "Other people have bigger budgets than me"
• "I'd use the free tier"
• "I'd pay once but not monthly"

If you're building for a market you don't personally belong to, modify this question: "Would I pay for this if I had the problem?" The answer should still be an immediate, enthusiastic yes.

Question 7: Can You Name Three Specific Companies or People Who Need This Right Now?

Why this matters: Generic markets don't exist. Real markets are made up of specific people with names, faces, and email addresses. If you can't name them, you're guessing.

What you're testing: Market specificity and initial customer pipeline.

What counts:

• Actual companies or individuals you can contact
• People who have the problem you're solving
• Potential customers you can realistically reach
• Names you'd feel comfortable sending a cold email to

What doesn't count:

• "Marketing agencies" (too vague)
• "My friend said he'd use it" (friends lie)
• "Companies like X" (without specific names)
• "Anyone who does Y" (not specific enough)

The practical test: Open a new document right now and write down three names. Include their email addresses or LinkedIn profiles. If you can't do this in 60 seconds, your market isn't specific enough yet.

This connects directly to our guide on choosing the right market size—specificity beats breadth for first-time founders.

Question 8: Does This Idea Play to Your Unfair Advantages?

Why this matters: You're competing against funded startups, established players, and other indie hackers. Your only edge is doing something others can't easily replicate.

What you're testing: Competitive sustainability and personal fit.

Unfair advantages include:

• Domain expertise others don't have
• Existing audience or network in this space
• Technical skills that are rare or difficult
• Access to data or resources others can't get
• Personal experience with this exact problem
• Existing relationships with potential customers

Red flags:

• "Anyone could build this" (then why hasn't someone already?)
• "It's just execution" (execution is everything, but advantages help)
• "I'll learn the industry as I go" (expensive education)
• "The market is big enough for everyone" (you still need an edge)

Example: If you've spent five years in commercial real estate, a SaaS for property managers plays to your advantage. A SaaS for podcast editors doesn't—unless you have other relevant advantages.

Understanding why some SaaS ideas succeed while others never launch often comes down to founder-market fit.

Question 9: If This Succeeds, Will You Still Want to Work on It in Two Years?

Why this matters: Building a profitable saas idea takes longer than you think. If you're not genuinely interested in the problem space, you'll quit before reaching profitability.

What you're testing: Long-term motivation and personal sustainability.

Consider honestly:

• Will you enjoy talking to these customers regularly?
• Does this problem space interest you intellectually?
• Can you see yourself becoming an expert in this domain?
• Will you be proud to be known as "the person who does X"?
• Does solving this problem align with your values?

Red flags:

• "I'll sell it once it's profitable" (you won't get there)
• "I'm just doing this for money" (you'll quit when it gets hard)
• "It's not exciting but it's practical" (passion matters more than you think)
• "I'll hire someone to handle customers" (not at micro-SaaS scale)

The two-year test: Imagine your calendar two years from now filled with customer calls about this problem. Does that sound energizing or draining? Your gut reaction is usually right.

Many founders need to pivot their SaaS idea because they picked a market they didn't actually want to serve long-term.

How to Use This Filter Effectively

Step 1: Answer all nine questions in writing. Don't just think about them—write down your answers. Writing forces clarity and prevents self-deception.

Step 2: Be ruthlessly honest. The purpose of this filter is to kill bad ideas quickly, not to justify the idea you're already attached to. If you find yourself rationalizing or making excuses, that's a red flag.

Step 3: Failing any question is a stop signal. You don't need to fail all nine questions to kill an idea. Failing even one should make you seriously reconsider. Failing two or more means move on immediately.

Step 4: If you pass all nine, validate further. Passing this filter doesn't guarantee success—it just means your idea deserves deeper investigation. Use our validation stack to gather real market data.

Step 5: Run multiple ideas through the filter. Don't just test your favorite idea. Test five or ten ideas. The comparison will reveal which opportunities are genuinely stronger.

Common Objections and Responses

"But successful founders ignored conventional wisdom and built anyway!"

Survivor bias. For every founder who succeeded despite red flags, hundreds failed. You're not reading articles about the failures.

"My idea is different—these questions don't apply."

They do. If you think your idea is so unique that basic business principles don't apply, that's the biggest red flag of all.

"This filter is too harsh—it would kill most ideas."

Exactly. Most ideas should be killed. Your job isn't to build every idea you have—it's to find the one idea worth building.

"What if I'm wrong about my answers?"

Then you'll discover that quickly through validation. But being wrong about your answers after honest reflection is less common than you think. Usually, we know the truth—we just don't want to admit it.

"Can't I just build it and see what happens?"

You can, but you'll waste months and burn out. The whole point is to avoid building things nobody wants. Check out our analysis of SaaS ideas that failed to see what happens when founders skip validation.

Real Examples: Applying the Filter

Let's run a few actual SaaS ideas through this filter to see how it works in practice.

Example 1: "AI-powered meeting summarizer"

1. Problem clarity: ✅ "Remote workers waste time reviewing meeting recordings"
2. People pay today: ✅ (Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai exist)
3. Reach 1,000 customers: ❌ (highly competitive, hard to differentiate)
4. Painkiller or vitamin: ~ (somewhat urgent, but not critical)
5. Build in 40 hours: ✅ (with existing AI APIs)
6. Would you pay: ~ (maybe $10/month, not $50)
7. Name three customers: ❌ (generic market, no specific leads)
8. Unfair advantage: ❌ (unless you have unique AI expertise)
9. Work on for two years: ~ (depends on personal interest)

Verdict: Fail. Too competitive without a specific niche or unfair advantage.

Example 2: "Compliance tracking for dental practices"

1. Problem clarity: ✅ "Dental offices risk fines for missing OSHA compliance deadlines"
2. People pay today: ✅ (consultants charge thousands for this)
3. Reach 1,000 customers: ✅ (dental associations, trade publications)
4. Painkiller or vitamin: ✅ (regulatory deadlines create urgency)
5. Build in 40 hours: ✅ (mostly calendar/reminder system)
6. Would you pay: ✅ (if you ran a dental practice)
7. Name three customers: ✅ (if you know dentists or can reach them)
8. Unfair advantage: ✅ (if you have dental industry experience)
9. Work on for two years: ✅ (if you find compliance interesting)

Verdict: Strong candidate, especially if you have domain expertise.

Example 3: "Better project management tool"

1. Problem clarity: ❌ "Project management is too complicated" (vague)
2. People pay today: ✅ (massive existing market)
3. Reach 1,000 customers: ❌ (incredibly competitive)
4. Painkiller or vitamin: ~ (depends on specific angle)
5. Build in 40 hours: ❌ (project management is complex)
6. Would you pay: ❌ (already using existing tools)
7. Name three customers: ~ (everyone needs it, but why switch?)
8. Unfair advantage: ❌ (unless you have a unique approach)
9. Work on for two years: ~ (depends on differentiation)

Verdict: Fail. Too generic and competitive without a specific niche.

What to Do After Filtering Your Ideas

If your idea passes: Move to structured validation. Talk to potential customers, build a landing page, test pricing assumptions, and create a minimal prototype. Use the SaaS idea research process to go deeper.

If your idea fails: Don't get discouraged—get curious. Why did it fail? What would need to be different? Can you modify the idea to pass the filter? Sometimes a small pivot transforms a weak idea into a strong one.

If all your ideas fail: You need more idea inputs. Spend a week using the weekly SaaS idea discovery routine to generate better raw material. Quality ideas come from systematic observation, not random inspiration.

The Real Benefit: Speed and Confidence

The biggest advantage of this filter isn't that it finds perfect ideas—it's that it kills bad ideas quickly.

Every hour you spend on a doomed idea is an hour you're not spending on a viable one. Every week you waste building something nobody wants is a week of motivation burned.

This filter gives you two things most founders lack:

1. Speed: You can evaluate an idea in 30 minutes instead of 3 months
2. Confidence: When an idea passes, you know it's worth deeper investigation

The best founders aren't the ones with the best ideas—they're the ones who evaluate ideas quickly and move on from bad ones without emotional attachment.

Your Next Steps

Here's what to do right now:

1. List your current SaaS ideas (even half-formed ones)
2. Run each through this nine-question filter (in writing, honestly)
3. Kill the ones that fail (immediately, without regret)
4. Validate the ones that pass (systematically, with real data)
5. Generate more ideas (continuously, using proven methods)

The goal isn't to find one perfect idea today. The goal is to build a habit of ruthless evaluation that compounds over time. Six months from now, you'll instinctively spot weak ideas before wasting any time on them.

Start with the idea you're most excited about right now. Open a document, write down the nine questions, and answer them honestly. If it passes, you've got something worth building. If it fails, you just saved yourself three months of wasted effort.

That's a pretty good return on 30 minutes of honest thinking.

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Ready to find your next SaaS opportunity? Visit SaasOpportunities.com to discover validated micro-SaaS ideas, proven market opportunities, and detailed analysis of what's working right now. Stop guessing and start building ideas that people actually want to buy.