iTranslated by AI
I Built a Tool to Manage Solo Project Ideas and Compare Them Using Scoring
When you're doing indie development, ideas come to you one after another.
I jot them down in a memo app or organize them in Notion, but in the end, I never know which one to start with. When I browse the internet, I often see stories about people who "built it, but nobody used it," and I've always wanted to avoid that fate.
However, I didn't know how to determine if there was "actual demand."
I built it because the tool I wanted didn't exist
When I researched methods for market research, the advice was almost always to "investigate competitors" or "interview your target audience." While I understand that, it's exhausting to do all that while also juggling personal development projects.
Even when I ask ChatGPT, the answers vary every time. Taking notes in Notion doesn't tell me if there's any demand.
So, I decided to build it myself. That is DemandIQ.
What this tool does
When you enter an app idea, the AI automatically analyzes it and provides a score based on the following:
- Marketability: Is there demand in the market?
- Competitive Advantage: Is there a chance to beat the competition?
- Feasibility: Can it be built at an indie scale?
- Profitability: Can it be consistently profitable?
It returns a comprehensive score out of 100, along with a set of competitor analysis, revenue projections, and an action plan.
You can check a sample report from the app itself (demand-iq-blue.vercel.app) here.
My favorite feature: Side-by-side comparison of multiple ideas
When you only have one idea, it's just a matter of "to build or not to build," but in reality, we often have multiple ideas floating in our heads.
DemandIQ lets you store ideas, so you can line them up and compare them like "Idea A: 72 points" vs "Idea B: 88 points." It is surprisingly useful to be able to set aside emotions and decide to "start with the one that has the higher score."
How to use it
- Enter your idea as soon as you think of it (a 2–3 sentence overview is fine).
- The AI scores it (done in a few minutes).
- When you've built up a stock, compare them by their scores.
- Move forward with the idea that has the highest score.
It’s easier to make decisions when they are ranked by numerical values rather than just taking vague notes in Notion.
What I learned from building and using it
I used DemandIQ to diagnose the idea for DemandIQ itself (a bit recursive, I know). It returned a score, so at least it wasn't "zero marketability."
Ideas that get low scores usually have specific reasons given, like "competitors are too strong" or "the market is too small." It is easier to judge based on data explaining "why it's difficult" rather than relying on a gut feeling of "this might work."
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price | Monthly Diagnostics | Storage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | ¥0 | 3 times | 5 items |
| Lite | ¥480/month | 10 times | 30 items |
| Pro | ¥980/month | 30 times | 100 items |
The Free plan can be used without registration. Paid plans can be canceled at any time.
Summary
- Validate demand before indie development using data, not just intuition.
- Don't just jot down ideas; score and compare them.
- Utilizes a dual-model configuration of Gemini × Claude to balance comprehensiveness and accuracy.
- A few minutes before development can prevent building something that misses the mark.
First, check out the service introduction page for features and pricing.
You can try it 3 times a month with the Free plan (no registration required). It consists of three plans: the Lite plan at ¥480/month and the Pro plan at ¥980/month. The application itself can be found here.
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