I'd suggest you go read The Lean Startup, as this is the source for the suggestions on HN. You validate ideas by applying validated learning: 1. Figure out wh

I'd suggest you go read The Lean Startup, as this is the source for the suggestions on HN. You validate ideas by applying validated learning: 1. Figure out what you want to learn (ex. an assumption: customers want this product because it allows them to easily do x) 2. Figure out how you will learn via metrics (ex. measure: how many customers sign up based on advertising based on this assumption) 3. Do what is required to gather the metrics. (ex. act: advertise based on the assumption to gather metrics for analyses to validate your assumption). Sort of sounds like Act/Track/Learn :) The Lean Startup proposes that you approach a product by asking the following questions: 1. Is this product valuable to my customers? 2. Would customers buy this product? 3. Would customers buy this product from me? 4. Can I build this product? Point 1 & 2 refer to validating the viability of ideas, while 3 & 4 is more of an introspection regarding availability of skills/resources/advantage etc. Good luck!