A systematic approach to evaluating your ideas: 10 criteria for assessing your app’s potential

Ideas may come easily, but choosing the right one is crucial. When properly nurtured and developed, a great idea can disrupt industries, establish new paradigms, and significantly impact the world. The real challenge isn’t generating ideas but effectively evaluating and selecting them. This process of discernment is what distinguishes successful innovators from mere dreamers. While it’s important to dream (this is where we begin), the key is having a thorough evaluation process that involves analyzing your idea with logical reasoning and understanding the demands and potential of the market.

If you’re looking for a more fun and less formal way to evaluate your ideas, check out this post.

Keep, Ditch, or Pivot: a fun and fast way to evaluate your ideas

Looking for a fun way to evaluate your ideas? Try the “Keep, Ditch, or Pivot” method! This playful approach helps you quickly assess which concepts to pursue, tweak, or drop. Gather your crew, pitch your ideas, and decide their fate to spark creativity and move forward with confidence.

Welcome to everyday uxJess Eddy

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear

Having systems in place is crucial for achieving consistent and repeatable successful outcomes. Systems offer structure and efficiency while lowering the risk of failure. By adopting systems, we minimize our dependence on memory, intuition, and luck. We can attain desired outcomes through clear, precise steps that can be learned and replicated. This approach is particularly advantageous when tackling intricate, multifaceted tasks requiring coordination and effective management of multiple factors.

I am sharing my ten criteria for evaluating ideas, a robust yet adaptable framework I developed to aid in the decision-making process over the years.

The ten evaluation criteria

1. Problem identification: The foundation of your idea
2. Problem magnitude: Assessing the scale of the issue
3. Feasibility: Gauging the practicality of your idea
4. Viability: Evaluating the business sense of your idea
5. Differentiation: Standing out from the crowd
6. Market demand: Getting familiar with the market
7. Scalability: Building with growth in mind
8. Regulatory compliance: Understanding the legalities
9. Maintenance and support: Sustaining user engagement and app relevance
10. Sustainability: Developing for the long haul

This post illustrates these concepts using a hypothetical app called EcoTracker.

EcoTracker enables users to track their daily carbon footprint and offers personalized recommendations for reducing it. The app includes features such as tracking transportation, monitoring home energy usage, logging dietary choices, and monitoring waste production. It also provides educational content on sustainability and the consequences of various lifestyle choices.

#1 Problem identification

The foundation of your idea

Every successful app begins by identifying problems or needs the market needs to address more effectively. When evaluating your app idea, consider the following:

• Can it solve a real problem?
• Does it fill a gap in the market?
• Can it simplify a process?
• Does it provide a unique service or offer entertaining content?

This isn’t just an exercise; it’s about giving your app a clear purpose. This purpose will guide your development process and attract your target audience.

Problem identification example

EcoTracker addresses the problem that many individuals want to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint but often need more knowledge or tools to track their progress and make informed decisions effectively.

Actionable tips

• Brainstorm potential issues your app could address. Valuable insight sources include market research, user surveys, and personal experiences.
• Assess the severity and reach of each problem. Does it affect a wide demographic or a specific group? This understanding will help define your target audience.
• A clear understanding of the problem or need will enable you to design your app more precisely to address it.

#2 Problem magnitude

Assessing the scale of the issue

Magnitude refers to the scale of the problem your idea aims to solve. It’s not just about creating something cool — it’s about creating something that makes a substantial impact.

• How many people experience the pain points (problems or difficulties) your idea will alleviate?
• What is the intensity of the problem? Solving urgent issues translates into value.
• Could others beyond your initial target group be facing the same problem? If so, this could signal scalability and further growth opportunities.

Problem magnitude example

The problem of climate change is huge and affects the entire world. Although governments and businesses have important roles, individual actions also make a difference. EcoTracker can assist people worldwide in making lifestyle changes that, when combined, can have a significant impact.

Actionable tips

• Ask: Who needs my app and why?
• Conduct market research. Analyze online conversations, conduct surveys, and review available data to estimate potential user base size.
• Consider the impact of your app’s solution on the user’s daily life or work. A higher impact can lead to a higher value.
• Explore whether your idea applies to other demographics, potentially leading to greater growth.

#3 Feasibility

Gauging the practicality of your idea

Can you build your idea with your current skills, technology, and resources? It’s crucial to consider:

• Do you or your team have the skills to develop the app, or can you realistically acquire them?
• Have you anticipated potential development challenges and strategized how to address them proactively?

Disregarding feasibility could lead you to pursue an unachievable goal, exhausting time and effort.

Feasibility example

Given technological advancements and available carbon footprint data, developing EcoTracker is possible. The main challenge lies in making the tracking process effortless and user-friendly. One could achieve this through intuitive design and automating tracking wherever feasible. User testing can help validate the app’s feasibility.

Actionable tips

• Honestly assess your resources and capabilities. Compare them with what’s needed to realize your idea.
• If there’s a skills gap, consider the practicality of acquiring those skills or plan for hiring or partnerships.
• Conduct a risk analysis to identify potential hurdles and plan for overcoming them.
• Every step in understanding feasibility brings you closer to successfully turning your idea into a functional app.

#4 Viability

Evaluating the business sense of your idea

For your app to be successful, it needs to make business sense. Ask yourself:

• Can it generate revenue and meet your business’s broader goals?
• What is your monetization strategy (purchases, ads, subscriptions, partnerships)?
• Are the development and maintenance costs justifiable, given the potential revenue?

Ignoring the viability check can result in a technically brilliant but financially unsustainable app.

Viability example

EcoTracker could generate revenue through in-app purchases (e.g., advanced features), partnerships with sustainable businesses, and ads. It aligns with broader societal sustainability goals.

Actionable tips

• Draft a clear monetization plan. Explore different models and combinations.
• Compare anticipated revenue with estimated development and maintenance costs.
• Ensure your app aligns with and contributes positively to your overall business goals.
• Be cautious of app ideas that become resource drains without adequate returns.

#5 Differentiation

Standing out from the crowd

Is your app offering something new and unique, or does it blend in with the current market? Identify your app’s unique value proposition (UVP). Analyze competitors’ offerings to generate ideas for enhancing and distinguishing your product. Your audience will only notice you if your vision stands out.

Differentiation example

EcoTracker offers real-time tracking, personalized suggestions, an educational component, and a community feature for sharing progress and tips.

Actionable tips

• Clearly define your app’s UVP. Identify what sets it apart and why users should care.
• Analyze competitors’ strengths and weaknesses to identify gaps you can fill and introduce innovative features or designs.
• Differentiate in a way that resonates with your target users.

#6 Market demand

Getting familiar with the market

Determine if there is real market demand for your app to stand out among the many creative ideas competing for attention.

• Are people interested in what you offer?
• Is there a need for a solution like yours?
• Does your idea align with current industry trends?

Neglecting market research can result in developing an app that misses the mark or doesn’t align with market needs.

Market demand example

As climate change awareness grows, there’s a greater need for practical tools to help individuals make a difference. Gathering feedback from users of similar apps could offer valuable insights into desired features and improvements.

Actionable tips

• Conduct thorough market research. Talk to potential users/customers and look for evidence of demand.
• Monitor user feedback on similar apps. What do users love or wish was different? Can your app provide the ’different’?
• Stay on top of industry trends. Is your app aligning with the wave or swimming against it?
• Understanding market demand now can save you from investing in an unwanted app later.

#7 Scalability

Building with growth in mind

Launching an app is a huge milestone, but it’s just the beginning. Plan for growth and development early. As your app gains popularity, its infrastructure should be able to handle the increased usage without massive overhauls or performance issues.

Given the pace of technology, static apps risk falling behind. Users prefer applications with up-to-date, cutting-edge features. Have a clear strategy to attract and retain users. Without scalability, your app may struggle to keep up with demand, disappoint users, and damage your reputation.

Scalability example

EcoTracker can grow and improve by adding features like gamification, detailed activity breakdowns, expansion to new regions with localized data, and continuous data updates based on the latest research.

Actionable tips

• Imagine your app going viral. Can its infrastructure support the uptick in activity?
• Envision your app a year or two down the line. What new features did you release?
• Consider your user acquisition and retention strategies. Do you have a solid plan?

#8 Regulatory compliance

Understanding the legalities

Understanding and meeting legal obligations is crucial, especially concerning sensitive information. Your app must meet all privacy standards and take necessary precautions to protect user data. Laws can change, so stay current to maintain compliance.

Regulatory compliance example

EcoTracker must abide by data protection regulations to protect sensitive user data. Implementing sustainable practices, such as green hosting providers, would also benefit the company.

Actionable tips

• Identify all applicable laws and regulations. Are you adequately protecting user data, including sensitive information?
• Establish a system for staying informed about relevant legal changes.
• When in doubt, seek legal advice to avoid potential pitfalls.

#9 Maintenance and support

Sustaining user engagement and app relevance

Your app’s launch is only the beginning. Establish a customer support system to promptly and efficiently address user issues, building a loyal audience. Create a feedback loop to gather and implement user opinions. Ignoring feedback may lead to user frustration, dissatisfaction, and churn.

Maintenance and support example

EcoTracker can maintain user engagement by regularly releasing new features, improving suggestions based on feedback, and promptly addressing technical issues. It could gather feedback through in-app surveys and a community forum.

Actionable tips

• Plan updates and improvements ahead of time, even before your app's release.
• Offer various customer support channels (email, live chat, FAQs).
• Gather user feedback through forms, surveys, or social media monitoring.
• Don't just collect feedback; incorporate the right feedback. Listening to users is crucial for app development and progress.

#10 Sustainability

Developing for the long haul

Developing an app is an ongoing process, not a one-time endeavor. For success, your app must continuously improve, remain relevant, meet user needs, and increase in value over time.

Consider diversifying your revenue streams instead of depending on a single source for long-term sustainability. While one source may work short-term, multiple sources increase long-term profitability. Plan for ongoing expenses and how to cover them. Without financial sustainability, your app won't be sustainable for long.

Sustainability example

To remain financially stable, EcoTracker can explore various income sources, such as in-app purchases, partnerships, and advertisements, to cover maintenance, hosting, and user support expenses. The team can also seek grants or sponsorships to support its environmental education component.

Actionable tips

• Imagine your app’s future state. How can it continue providing value to users? What new features make an impact?
• Explore revenue options beyond in-app purchases and ads. Consider partnering with related businesses or offering premium services.
• Budget for initial development, ongoing maintenance, updates, marketing, and unexpected expenses.
• Have a financial backup plan.

Conclusion

Remember, every remarkable invention began as a simple idea. Systematically evaluating your ideas through the lens of logic enables you to sort, rank, and refine them. Scrutinize, assess, and improve your concepts. Most importantly, keep innovating. The world eagerly awaits your next exceptional idea!