Back

🎯 The Impact Matrix: The Simplest Way to Validate If Your Startup Actually Matters In a world obsessed with launching, scaling, and pitching, there’s one thing most founders forget to ask: “Is this even worth building?” Here’s a powerful mental model every builder, thinker, and investor should know: Impact = Change in Utility × Number of People Affected This is what I call The Impact Matrix, a brutal but beautiful way to measure if your idea is just cool, or genuinely important. Let’s break it down 👇 1. Change in Utility (Δ Utility) This is how much better your solution is compared to what already exists. If your product is only a little better, Δ Utility is low. If you’re solving a deep, painful, unsolved problem Δ Utility is high. But here's the kicker: different industries have different ceilings. You’re not going to 10x the toothbrush or make snacks save the planet. Some industries simply max out early. Realistic example ceilings for Δ Utility: Healthcare: 9–10 Education: 7–9 Logistics: 6–8 Food & Snacking: 2–5 Social Media: 1–3 Developer Tools: 3–6 Knowing your ceiling keeps you honest. You're not pretending your weather app is solving climate change. 2. Number of People Affected🤒 Here’s where things get spicy. Even a small improvement say, 1 point becomes world changing if it touches millions or billions of lives. That’s why Google, WhatsApp, and even Excel are impactful: small daily utility × billions = massive global effect. Ask yourself:🗣 How many people are really facing this problem? Is your solution accessible, affordable, and scalable? Are you solving a niche pain or a mass-market itch? Why This Matrix Matters❓️ Because most startup advice tells you to "scratch your own itch" but that itch might only exist for you and 10 other people. The Impact Matrix cuts through the noise. It helps you: Validate startup ideas fast Prioritize which problem to solve Communicate impact to investors Stay focused on things that matter, not just what’s fun to build Important: Not Every Matrix Goes to 10‼️ Be honest about your industry’s ceiling. Don’t oversell. Instead, maximize the scale or stack multiple use-cases to increase total impact. Even a boring-sounding idea with low utility can be a rocketship if it reaches enough people. Final Thought Before you write a single line of code, try this: Write down your estimated utility gain (realistically), Multiply it by the number of people you can realistically reach, And ask yourself: Is this number exciting? Or just... fine? Your time is your most valuable asset. Use the Impact Matrix to spend it on things that deserve to exist. for such more informative post consider following Thatmoonemojiguy 🌝🚀