Do you have a million-dollar idea in your head, just waiting to be acted upon? Or will it be a complete bust — an idea with no actual potential for return?
你脑子里有一个好点子，它价值万金，就等着你动手大干一场了？抑或它只是个空想，实际上完全赚不回钱来？
This question is one that stops many would-be entrepreneurs in their tracks before they even take the chance and launch their potential business ventures. Fortunately, it is possible to make a more educated guess on your idea’s likelihood of success or failure by taking the time to validate your idea before moving forward with it.
这个问题撂倒了很多想创业的人，在冒把险成立个公司前停下了脚步。幸好，在把你的想法付诸行动之前，你大可以拿出一段时间，先验证下其成功或失败的可能性，让自己更有把握一些。
Here are 20 questions you can ask to validate your startup idea — before you commit significant time, money or other resources to its launch:
以下，就是20个你应该扪心自问的问题。在投入大量时间、金钱和其他资源之前，来对你的创业点子进行一番验证：
1. What problem are you solving?
1. 你要解决什么问题？
If you can’t clearly state the problem your product or service solves, you probably don’t have a successful idea.
如果你无法明确说出自己的产品或服务能解决的问题，你的点子可能根本就不靠谱。
2. How have others attempted to solve this problem before, and why did their solutions succeed or fail?
2. 此前其他人是如何试图解决这个问题的？他们的解决方案成功或失败的原因是什么？
There’s a lot you can learn from those who have gone before you.
你可以从先行者那里学到很多。
3. How many specific benefits for your product or idea can you list?
3. 你能为自己的产品或创意列出多少个具体的优点？
The more you can think of, the more likely it is that you’re meeting a real need and can be successful.
你能想出来的优点越多，便越有可能表明你的产品真正满足了一种需求，成功的几率也就越大。
4. Can you state, in clear language, the key features of your product or service?
4. 你能否用清晰的语言说明该产品或服务的主要特性？
Not being able to easily describe the key features of your idea is a warning sign that the idea isn’t well thought out yet.
如果你无法用简单的语言描述这些主要特性，这可能意味着你的想法尚不成熟。
5. Does your idea already exist in the same way you were going to create it?
5. 是否有人已先你一步，把这个点子做出来了？
If a similar solution exists, how will yours be different? If you don’t have any clear differentiating benefits or features, you likely need a new idea.
如果已经存在类似的解决方案，你如何实现差异化？如果你没有任何明确的、差异化的优点或特性，你可能需要换个新点子。
6. Who are your potential competitors?
6. 你的潜在竞争对手有哪些？
Having competitors isn’t a bad thing — it means a market exists. However, knowing what you’ll face if you launch is important, as an overcrowded marketplace or one where consumers have a strong affinity for the dominant brand may be more difficult to break into.
有竞争对手不是坏事——这意味着这个市场确实存在。尽管如此，如果一个市场的竞争过于激烈，或者主导品牌在消费者中建立了强烈的亲和力，这样的市场将很难进入，因此，了解你创业后要面对的一切非常重要。
7. What key features does my product or service have that others will have a hard time copying?
7. 我的产品和服务有哪些关键特性是别人很难复制的？
Before you go into business, you need to be very clear about what sets you apart from competitors.
在开始创业前，你需要非常清楚自己与竞争对手的区别所在。
8. Have you done a SWOT analysis?
8. 你是否做过SWOT分析？
This framework helps you to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that your idea has, giving you a better idea of the overall likelihood for success.
这个框架可以帮助你了解自己想法中的优势、不足、机会和威胁，让你对成功的可能性有更清晰的认识。
9. Do you have access to the various resources you need to launch a business?
9. 你是否有渠道获得创业所需的各种资源？
While you don’t need to be rich to launch a business, you will need some combination of time and money, depending on the scope of your idea. If you have no way to access everything you need, you’re better off waiting to launch your company until your situation is different.
虽然创业者不一定要很有钱，但你肯定需要投入一定量的时间和资金，多少则根据你想创业的方向而定。如果你没有渠道去获得所需的资源，最好等到情况有好转了再考虑创业。
10. Do you have a mentor or industry advisor that you can call on?
10. 你是否有一位导师或行业顾问可以征求建议？
Certainly, you can go it alone if you have to, but when you start a new business, having the advice of others in a similar business space can prevent unnecessary expenditures or missteps.
当然，在不得已的情况下你也可以单枪匹马，但在创建新公司的时候，来自相关行业的其他人的建议，可以帮助你避免一些不必要的开支和失误。
11. Can you name somebody who would benefit from your product or service?
会写作能给你增值。它并非简单地将你的见解从内心转移到纸面，同时也是新想法产生的过程。所谓“好话不花钱，一句值千金”，你值得在遣词造句上费心推敲。
This is the beginning of market research — who do you actually know that would use your idea? A general demographic isn’t enough, so take the time to hone in your target buyer personas.
在我的公司Help Scout，我们会用评估编码质量的严苛标准，来评价商业写作的质量。
12. What is the size of the market that will buy your product or service?
虽然我本人离写作高手还有一定距离，但基于无数热心读者的反馈所赐，在此我们总结出了一些要诀，可以指引你的写作走向正确的方向：
If you don’t know the size of the market, you have a lot of research ahead of you. Understanding how many people need your idea — and what they’re willing to pay for it — will help you determine whether your concept is viable.
用长篇大论展现好的想法，最容易毁掉一篇文章。
13. Have you reached out to potential customers for feedback?
2. 写作不是炫耀你的词汇量。
Getting feedback before investing further money can help you avoid creating a product or service that nobody really wants.
哈佛大学心理学家史蒂芬•平克表示：“你在写作时应该设想自己看到了一些有趣的事情，你要通过对话的方式，引导读者关注这些事情。”写作不是证明你拥有丰富的词汇，而是选择性地把你的思想记录下来。
14. Can you set up a landing page and encourage interested people to sign up for more information?
3.既要让文章好看，也要让读者有所得
This can be an easy and inexpensive way to test interest in a product or service. If a lot of people are interested, it’s a great sign that you’re on the right track!
最好的文章既能让人一见钟情，更能让读者在细心研读之后有所收获。就像一部百看不厌的电影一样，好的写作可以轻松抓住有辨识力的读者，并且能不断给他们带来意外的收获。
15. What would it take to build a minimum viable product to test the market?
4. 不要浪费导语的作用。
One mistake many entrepreneurs make is thinking that they have to launch a finished concept right away. Consider starting small, gauging interest and iterating as you go.
下笔之前，你首先要清楚自己想要说什么。每一篇文章都应该有一个主题，有一个从一开始就明确阐述的价值主张。 读完你的文章，应该是对你缜密推理的回报，而不是想搞清楚你究竟想表达什么观点。
16. Can you get paying customers from your target market to pre-order based on a blueprint or mockup?
5. 要想写出更多“佳句”，多多阅读。
Pre-orders are a solid sign of customer commitment. Someone saying they’re interested is one thing, but seeing people actually pony up their credit card information is a much stronger sign of potential success.
在《如何写出好句子》一书中，《纽约时报》专栏作家斯坦利•菲什不无惋惜地表示，“在教人们如何写出令人难忘的句子时，许多教育工作者都使用了错误的方式——依靠规则而不是例子。”所谓进来的是垃圾，出去的也是垃圾；只要你能花时间读一些佳句，你肯定也能写出更好的句子来。
17. Can you produce the actual product yourself, or do you have a partner who can?
6. “换言之，”你应该用其他的词。
As you might expect, before launch, you need to know who’s actually going to produce the first set of products or services, as well as whether they can do so within your budget.
只有能被人直接领悟的见解，才会令人记忆深刻——不要通篇都是“本质上”、“基本上”或“换言之”这样的词。在初次写作时就要使用正确的词汇。
18. Do you have distributors or partners to help you scale your business?
7. 不要告诉人们如何旅行；让他们看你的度假照片。
Once you have paying customers, you’ll need to ramp up actual distribution to meet demand. Do you have access to the partners and/or money needed to do so?
在自己知之甚少的话题上哗众取宠，会让读者感觉你不诚实——在有见地的读者眼中，你的每一段文字都透露着欺骗。相反，离开你的临时讲台，停止说教，像夏尔巴人一样；用诚实的方式告诉读者你所知道的。人们喜欢效仿别人的旅程。
19. What will it take to break even or make a profit?
反馈是决定一篇文章成败的关键。在你所写的内容得到任何反馈之前，你的分析并不会带来更多启示。做好面对批评的准备；一篇文章成功与否，取决于作者愿意接受评判的程度。
Some ideas take a lot of upfront investment, while others don’t. If yours does, it’s a good idea to plan for how you’ll handle your finances and daily needs while you’re waiting for your product or service to gain traction.
9. “坚持写下去就行”虽是一条老套的建议，但依旧很有必要。
20. How can investors in your idea make a profit?
如果你想找一种化繁为简的方式，别考虑写作。你会在空白页面前苦苦挣扎，直到从椅子上摔下去——一定要坚持下去，完成写作。
If you want others to come alongside your business and help you grow, you’ll have to know how they can benefit.
10. 曲折的结尾会让一篇好文章失分；结尾要干脆利落。
It may take some time to come up with answers to all these questions, but once you have them, you should have a better idea about how viable your idea is. If it passes these tests, go for it! If not, keep thinking — your next idea may be the one that changes the world.
我将用保罗•格拉汉姆的话作为本文的结尾：“学会辨认结尾的方法。遇到好的结尾，把它记下来。”
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