LaunchLens

A CLI tool to validate startup ideas before you build them. Get instant verdict, market scores, and competitor analysis.

$ launchlens "uber for dogs"
> VERDICT: NO ❌
> Market oversaturated, unit economics don't work
> Try: Pet walking for elderly-owned dogs in suburbs

Why?

Built this after wasting months on ideas nobody wanted. Now my AI assistant can validate ideas programmatically while I sleep.

What You Get

$ launchlens "AI-powered code review tool"

✅ VERDICT: YES (Score: 7/10)

📊 REASONS:
  • Real developer pain point
  • AI can genuinely improve this
  • B2B SaaS model proven

🏢 COMPETITORS:
  • DeepCode - AI code analysis
  • Codacy - Automated reviews  
  • SonarQube - Code quality

💡 STRATEGY:
  Focus on security vulnerabilities first, expand later

Features

• Instant validation - YES/NO verdict in 30 seconds
• Market scores - 0-10 ratings for opportunity, competition, feasibility
• Real competitors - Finds actual companies in the space
• Pivot suggestions - Specific alternatives when idea is bad
• JSON output - For AI agents and automation
• Roast mode - When you need brutal honesty

Usage Examples

# Basic validation
launchlens "social network for cats"

# Get detailed scores
launchlens --detailed "AI resume builder"

# Output as JSON (for AI agents)
launchlens --json "blockchain for real estate"

# Brutal honesty mode
launchlens --roast "uber for X"

# Validate multiple ideas
launchlens --file ideas.txt

For AI Assistants

Perfect for AI agents that need to validate ideas programmatically:

# Your AI can run this
RESULT=$(launchlens --json "$IDEA")
VERDICT=$(echo $RESULT | jq .decision)

if [ "$VERDICT" = "YES" ]; then
  # Proceed with building
fi

See AI Integration Guide for LangChain, AutoGPT, and more.

Documentation

• Examples - See real validation outputs
• JSON API - Integrate with your tools
• AI Integration - Use with AI assistants
• Web UI - Browser interface option

CLI Reference

launchlens <idea>                    # Basic validation
launchlens --json <idea>             # JSON output for scripts
launchlens --detailed <idea>         # Include market scores
launchlens --roast <idea>            # Harsh feedback mode
launchlens --file <path>             # Batch validate ideas
launchlens --model gpt-4 <idea>      # Use specific model

launchlens config set <key> <value>  # Set API keys/settings
launchlens config get <key>          # View configuration
launchlens config list               # Show all settings

Quick Start

# Install
npm install -g launchlens

# Configure API keys
launchlens config set openai-api-key sk-...      # Required
launchlens config set perplexity-api-key pplx-... # Recommended

# Validate idea
launchlens "your startup idea"

⚠️ Important: Without Perplexity API key, competitor search returns placeholder data. Get your key at: https://www.perplexity.ai/settings/api

Install from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/launchlens.git
cd launchlens

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Link globally for development
npm link

# Configure API keys
launchlens config set openai-api-key sk-...

Configuration

API Keys Required

API	Purpose	Required?	Get Key
OpenAI	AI analysis & validation	✅ Required	OpenAI Platform
Perplexity	Real competitor search	⚠️ Highly Recommended	Perplexity Settings

# Set OpenAI API key (REQUIRED)
launchlens config set openai-api-key sk-...

# Set Perplexity key (RECOMMENDED - without it, competitors are fake)
launchlens config set perplexity-api-key pplx-...

# Choose AI model
launchlens config set model gpt-4

# Or use environment variables
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="pplx-..."

API keys are encrypted and stored locally in ~/.launchlens/

Note: Without Perplexity API, you'll see generic competitors like "Existing Solution A" instead of real companies.

How It Works

1. Analyzes your idea using GPT-4/GPT-3.5 (OpenAI)
2. Searches for real competitors via Perplexity API (or returns placeholders without key)
3. Calculates market scores based on opportunity, competition, feasibility
4. Suggests pivots if the idea won't work
5. Returns structured data for further processing

With vs Without Perplexity API

With Perplexity (Recommended):

🏢 COMPETITORS:
  • Notion - All-in-one workspace with AI
  • Obsidian - Knowledge base with plugins
  • Roam Research - Networked thought tool

Without Perplexity (Placeholder data):

🏢 COMPETITORS:
  • Existing Solution A - Current market leader
  • Existing Solution B - Popular alternative

Requirements

• Node.js 16+
• OpenAI API key (required) - Get key
• Perplexity API key (recommended) - Get key

See API Keys Guide for detailed setup instructions.

FAQ

Is this accurate?
It's as good as GPT-4 with real competitor data. Better than building blindly.

Why CLI instead of web app?
Because developers live in terminals and AI agents can call CLIs.

Does it store my ideas?
No. Everything runs locally with your API keys.

Can I customize it?
Yes. MIT licensed. Fork it, modify it, make it yours.

Contributing

PRs welcome. Some ideas:

• Better competitor detection
• More analysis criteria
• Support for non-English ideas
• Integration with more AI models

License

MIT - Do whatever you want

Links

• GitHub
• NPM Package
• Report Issues

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Built by Khoa Le after too many failed startups