Archive, Pivot,
or Partner?
Before you trust the data feed, stress-test the idea behind it. Six dimensions: market, differentiation, feasibility, revenue, founder fit, timing. Scored against UK Companies House reality. Free, no sign-up.
Quick start: How validated is your project ideas?
See What an
Assessment Looks Like
Here's an example score breakdown for a fictional AI-powered recipe scaling startup.
Snapshot of the Archive
Real and fictional ideas we've run through the framework. Some flew. Some flopped. All were assessed honestly.
Stripe
Developer-first payments API. Built by two brothers who saw the gap.
Airbnb
Rent out spare rooms to travellers. Seemed crazy — now a $80B company.
Shopify
Let anyone build an online store without code. Now powers millions of businesses.
Canva
Drag-and-drop design for non-designers. Democratised graphic design globally.
AI Recipe Scaling
AI that converts home recipes to commercial kitchen quantities with cost modelling.
Notion
All-in-one workspace replacing docs, wikis, and project tools. Grew through word of mouth.
Monzo
Mobile-first challenger bank. Disrupted UK high-street banking with real-time notifications.
Deliveroo
Restaurant delivery platform founded in London. Scaled across Europe before IPO.
BrewDog
Craft beer brand using punk marketing and equity crowdfunding to build a global business.
Slack
Started as a game company. The internal chat tool became the product.
YouTube
Launched as a video dating site. Pivoted to "broadcast yourself" — then Google bought it.
Started as Burbn, a check-in app. Pivoted to photo sharing — acquired by Facebook for $1B.
Indie Board Game Box
Monthly subscription box for indie board games. Niche but loyal market.
Wise (TransferWise)
Started as peer-to-peer currency exchange. Pivoted to full international money transfer platform.
Gymshark
Started screen-printing supplements. Pivoted to fitness apparel via social media.
ASOS
Started as "As Seen On Screen" selling celebrity lookalike clothes. Pivoted to fast-fashion marketplace.
Quibi
Short-form streaming for mobile. $1.75B raised, shut down in 6 months.
Juicero
$400 WiFi juicer that squeezed proprietary bags you could squeeze by hand.
Blockchain Cafe Loyalty
Blockchain-based loyalty points for local cafes. Solution looking for a problem.
Theranos
Promised revolutionary blood tests from a finger prick. The technology never worked.
Bulb Energy
Green energy supplier that grew fast but collapsed under rising wholesale costs.
Made.com
Direct-to-consumer furniture brand. Couldn't survive supply chain disruption.