Julien Reszka
Most founders ask whether something is worth building too late, or too vaguely. There is a cleaner frame: three thresholds, each gating the next, that turn the question into a sequence of falsifiable tests.
The three thresholds in order:
- Comprehension threshold — you can predict who buys and why. Around five to fifteen real customers is enough to clear this.
- Viability threshold — revenue covers your minimum. The maths are specific to your situation, but you must be able to run them.
- Growth threshold — you can acquire customers faster than you lose them.
The order is strict. Each one gates the next. This is not just a question of whether it is worth building — it is a framework for knowing when to stop, pivot, or double down.
If you cannot clear a threshold, the diagnosis is different each time:
- If you cannot hit comprehension, the problem is not real enough or specific enough. Stop or reframe.
- If you cannot hit viability, the pricing is wrong, the market is too small, or you are the wrong person to sell it. Fix one or stop.
- If you cannot hit growth, it is a distribution problem — the thing works but spreading it is broken. That is actually the most solvable of the three.
