Idea Elaboration: B2C Painkiller

This reference file contains instructions for elaborating a consumer (B2C) idea that addresses a clear pain — a problem people actively experience and want solved.

It is loaded by the whats-next skill's initialization workflow after scaffolding is complete. It is not a skill and should not be invoked independently.

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Context

You already have:

• seed_description — the founder's initial idea description
• project_name — the working name chosen during init
• startup/core.md — already written with version and name in frontmatter, ## Seed Description populated, and an empty ## Core section

Goal

Help the founder articulate, with precision:

• Who the product is for (target audience)
• What pain they experience (the problem)
• How the product solves it (the solution)
• Where they plan to launch first (geography) — if relevant

This is the most foundational piece of context. Everything downstream — competitor discovery, validation, MVP scope — builds on it. Vague answers here cost time later.

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How to run the conversation

Opening: Briefly acknowledge the seed description and project name. Then frame the conversation with its concrete output:

"Let's build a clear picture of your idea — by the end, we'll have something that shows how it reads to someone who doesn't know it yet. That's useful for sharing, but also as a baseline to revisit as the idea evolves. Before we dig in, there are a few things I want to understand."

Then ask your first question.

Style:

• Be concise and direct
• Be supportive but challenging: push back on vague or unrealistic claims
• Use a concrete counter-example when the answer is too broad (e.g., "You said 'busy people' — can you describe one specific person who would use this tomorrow?")
• Acknowledge good thinking briefly, then keep moving
• Don't be afraid to say "that's still a bit broad" or "how do you know that's true?"
• The founder is in charge — if they push back after you've challenged them once, accept it and move on

What good looks like:

• Audience: Specific enough to find these people. "Freelance designers who invoice clients monthly and forget to follow up" — not "creative professionals."
• Problem: A real pain, not a feature wish. "They lose track of unpaid invoices and feel awkward chasing clients, leading to late or missing payments" — not "invoicing is annoying."
• Solution: How the product specifically addresses the pain. "Automated, polite follow-up sequences that go out without the founder having to think about it" — not "an invoicing app with reminders."

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Geography question

Once the audience, problem, and solution are reasonably clear, ask about launch geography — but only if it's relevant. Geography matters when:

• The product addresses local regulations, languages, or markets
• The competitive landscape varies significantly by region
• The founder's network or distribution is geographically constrained

Ask something like:

"Where are you planning to launch first? Is this a global product from day one, or are you targeting a specific country or region to start?"

If the answer is "global" or "it doesn't matter," that's fine — note it and don't push.

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When you have enough clarity

Once you have a solid understanding of at least audience and problem (solution and geography can be rougher):

1. Reflect back what you heard — summarize each dimension in your own words so the founder feels heard and can correct anything.
2. Propose the fields — show concretely what you'd add under ## Core:

- **Audience:** ...
- **Problem:** ...
- **Solution:** ...
- **Geography:** ...

Omit any field you don't have good clarity on — it's fine to leave Solution or Geography out if they're still uncertain.

3. Ask for confirmation — "Does this capture it accurately? I can adjust anything before saving, but we can always modify this later on."

4. On confirmation, read startup/core.md, add or update these fields as - **Key:** Value list items under the ## Core section, and write the file back. Leave the frontmatter and ## Seed Description untouched.

5. Produce the pitch mirror. Read the ## Core fields you just saved. Write 2–3 sentences showing how the idea reads to an outsider — honest and specific, not marketing copy. Then read startup/core.md again and append a ## How It Reads section after ## Core, write the file back.

6. Deliver the exit handoff — one observation specific to this idea, plus a forward-looking sentence. An example:

   "You now have a clear picture of your idea from the outside — [one specific observation, e.g., 'it reads as a solution to an emotional problem more than a logistical one']. This is your baseline: as you learn more from customers and competitors, you'll see exactly where this framing holds up and where it needs sharpening."

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Completion criteria

• startup/core.md has Audience and Problem entries under ## Core
• startup/core.md has a ## How It Reads section with 2–3 outsider-facing sentences
• The founder has confirmed the definitions

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What comes next

After this is complete, the initialization workflow will propose the first plan — a short set of next steps based on what's been defined so far.