Free tool · Invention idea checker
Answer 10 plain questions about your product idea. You’ll see your readiness score, your three biggest risks in plain words, and the first step for each one. It takes about 3 minutes, and no email is needed.
This is our Pre-Build Checklist, as a 3-minute interactive check.
Each bar fills in as you answer. Longer and redder means a bigger risk.
Bring this result to a free 30-minute call. An engineer will tell you honestly which risk to tackle first, and what that step costs.
Your score, your three biggest risks and the first step for each, on one page you can share with a co-founder, an investor or an engineer.
A planning guide, not a quote or legal advice. Cost ranges match the stage-by-stage costs on our home page, checked November 2026.
What the check looks at
Most hardware ideas don’t fail on engineering. They stall on one of these, usually one the founder didn’t know to ask about.
Has anyone who would pay for it said yes, in their own words?
What’s on the shelf now, and the one reason to choose yours instead?
Size, battery, radio and camera pull against each other. Which part is hardest?
FCC, battery shipping, children’s safety: which apply, and how early to plan?
Does your budget match what the next stage really costs, in published ranges?
Can the parts, the factory and every margin fit inside your shelf price?
Does your date allow for design, testing and certification from where you are?
Have you shown it publicly, or filed before the design settled?
FAQ
A good hardware idea has people who will pay for it, a clear reason to choose it over what is already on sale, engineering that fits its size, battery and price, and a budget that matches the next stage. The checker scores your idea on these and four more risk areas, and shows which to fix first.
Yes. You see your score, your top three risks and the first step for each without giving an email. You only enter an email if you want the PDF report.
No. The checker never asks what your invention is. It only asks about its stage, its features and your plans, so your idea stays with you.
No. It checks whether your idea is ready to build, not whether it can be patented. If you have already shown the idea publicly, it flags the US one-year window to file. For patentability, speak to a registered patent attorney. This is not legal advice.
A working electronic prototype typically costs about $5,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on how much of the electronics is custom. Your result shows how your budget compares with the next stage.
Bring your result to a 30-minute call. We’ll tell you honestly whether it’s ready, what to fix first, and what the next step costs.