I’ve been thinking about the gap between having an idea and actually deciding it deserves weeks or months of work.

Building has become much cheaper. A developer can prototype something surprisingly fast now.

But the decision before building still seems messy.

When you’re evaluating an idea, what evidence do you actually trust?

Customer interviews? Existing workarounds? Competitor reviews? Search demand? People already paying for alternatives? Your own experience with the problem?

And maybe more importantly:

What evidence would make you decide not to build it?

I often see founders collect a lot of information, but the final decision still comes down to a mix of browser tabs, notes, spreadsheets and gut feeling.

Curious how HN founders and developers actually make this decision in practice.

Have you found a process that works consistently?