ShipFit
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9-Stage Decision Flow

How ShipFit Works

Nine questions, one playbook. Each stage uses proven frameworks to force a decision, so you ship knowing your buyer, your pricing, your scope, and your launch plan.

  1. 1

    Worth Building?

    → Market verdict 2–3 min

    Analyze your idea against real market data to determine if there's genuine demand worth pursuing.

    CB Insights finds 35–38% of failed startups cite "no market need" as the cause. Stage 1 is the gate that catches them.

    You leave with
    • TAM/SAM/SOM analysis
    • Competitor landscape
    • Market verdict
    Frameworks applied
    TAM/SAM/SOM AnalysisPorter's Five ForcesMarket Timing Analysis
  2. 2

    Who Pays?

    → Primary buyer 3–4 min

    Identify your ideal customer profile and understand who actually has budget authority.

    LTV/CAC ≥ 3 is the SaaS scaling threshold (David Skok). The buyer persona output ties to economics, not demographics.

    You leave with
    • Buyer personas with economics
    • Willingness-to-pay analysis
    • LTV/CAC estimates
    Frameworks applied
    Proto-PersonasJobs-to-be-DoneUnit Economics (LTV/CAC)
  3. 3

    What Hurts?

    → Core problems 4–5 min

    Uncover the real pain points your customers face. Not what they say, but what they actually experience.

    Mom Test signal emerges around 10–15 interviews — when 3+ unrelated buyers describe the same pain in the same words.

    You leave with
    • Ranked pain points
    • Severity scoring (frequency × intensity)
    • MVP problem selection
    Frameworks applied
    Mom TestProblem Scoring FormulaDo-Say Gap Analysis
  4. 4

    How to Win?

    → Solution approach 5–6 min

    Define your unique value proposition and competitive moat that makes you the obvious choice.

    Hamilton Helmer catalogued 7 sources of durable advantage. Most pre-PMF startups have zero; the question is which one you could build.

    You leave with
    • 3 solution approaches
    • Problem-solution fit scores
    • Risk assessment
    Frameworks applied
    Hamilton Helmer's 7 PowersBlue Ocean StrategyValue Proposition Canvas
  5. 5

    What's V1?

    → MVP scope 5–7 min

    Scope the minimum viable product that proves your hypothesis without over-building.

    MoSCoW caps the Must list at "cannot ship without". Three MVP packages emerge — Lean / Balanced / Full — so the scope/effort tradeoff is explicit before you commit.

    You leave with
    • Feature matrix (effort × impact)
    • MVP packages (Lean / Balanced / Full)
    • Build vs buy decisions
    Frameworks applied
    MoSCoW MethodFeasibility-Impact MatrixCustomer Journey Mapping
  6. 6

    How to Charge?

    → Pricing model 4–5 min

    Determine optimal pricing strategy based on value delivered and willingness to pay.

    Van Westendorp PSM stabilizes around 30+ respondents in your ICP. Under that, curves lie; you produce a price that looks defensible but isn't.

    You leave with
    • Pricing tiers with feature gating
    • Competitive positioning
    • Unit economics validation
    Frameworks applied
    Van Westendorp PSMPain Intensity Premium Modifier
  7. 7

    Will They Pay?

    → Demand proof 4–6 min

    Pressure-test demand with smoke tests and behavioral signals before you build.

    Fake Door signal tiers: a 1% Gold-tier conversion (real preorder / LOI / deposit) beats a 30% Worthless-tier conversion (email signup, upvotes).

    You leave with
    • Smoke test plan
    • Behavioral validation criteria
    • Pre-sales playbook
    Frameworks applied
    Lean Startup ValidationSmoke TestsPre-sales Frameworks
  8. 8

    How to Launch?

    → GTM plan 6–8 min

    Plan your go-to-market strategy with specific channels, messaging, and launch sequence.

    Test 2 channels deeply before adding a third. Founders who launch into 5+ channels at once spread budget too thin to learn from any single one.

    You leave with
    • Prioritized launch channels
    • Week 1 checklist
    • Channel-specific messaging
    Frameworks applied
    GTM Strategy FrameworkChannel Strategy
  9. 9

    What to Export?

    → AI tool handoff 2–3 min

    Generate optimized prompts and specs for Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and other AI dev tools to accelerate development.

    Exports to 7 AI dev environments: Cursor (.cursorrules), Claude Code (CLAUDE.md), Windsurf (.windsurfrules), Replit, Lovable, v0, Gemini — plus a Universal Prompt for any chat model.

    You leave with
    • AI-ready prompts (Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Replit, Lovable, v0, Gemini)
    • Technical spec
    • Launch assets
    Frameworks applied
    Context Engineering Principles
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Frequently asked

How long does the full ShipFit flow take?

Most founders complete all 9 stages in 35–60 minutes of focused work. You can also pause at any stage. Your project state is saved. And return when you have new information.

Do I have to do all 9 questions, or can I skip ahead?

The questions are sequenced because each one builds on the previous answers (e.g., pricing depends on knowing your buyer). You can revisit and revise earlier answers at any time, but the recommended path is sequential.

What do I actually walk away with?

A ship-ready playbook: market verdict, buyer persona, ranked pain points, solution approach, MVP scope, pricing model, demand-validation plan, GTM strategy, and exportable specs for Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and other AI dev tools.

How is this different from just using ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is conversational and agreeable by default. ShipFit is opinionated and framework-backed. It forces decisions in a fixed sequence using proven methodologies (Mom Test, Van Westendorp, Jobs-to-be-Done, 7 Powers) and produces structured, exportable artifacts.

What frameworks does ShipFit use?

Over 50, including The Mom Test, Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter, Jobs-to-be-Done, Hamilton Helmer's 7 Powers, Blue Ocean Strategy, Lean Startup, MoSCoW prioritization, TAM/SAM/SOM, Unit Economics, and Porter's Five Forces.