# Niche Success Scorecard

> Quantitative scoring of niche viability for lifestyle SaaS ($1-3M ARR, solo/duo team). Use after completing a first-pass evaluation to generate a weighted score and go/no-go decision. Triggers on requests like "score this niche", "rate this opportunity", "should I pursue this", or "give me a scorecard for [niche]". Produces a 0-100 weighted score with clear decision thresholds.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-kirillpolevoy-claude-saas-eval-skills-niche-success-scorecard`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [kirillpolevoy](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/kirillpolevoy)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [kirillpolevoy](https://github.com/kirillpolevoy)
- **Source:** https://github.com/kirillpolevoy/claude-saas-eval-skills/tree/main/niche-success-scorecard

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-kirillpolevoy-claude-saas-eval-skills-niche-success-scorecard
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Niche Success Scorecard — Lifestyle SaaS

## Goal

Generate a quantitative score (0–100) to determine if a niche can realistically reach $1–3M ARR with a solo/duo team.

## When to Use

Run this **after** completing a First Pass evaluation. Requires concrete data on distribution, pricing, competition, and buildability.

## Scoring System

Each dimension scored 0–5, then weighted. Total = 100 points max.

---

### 1. Distribution You Can Execute Solo (35%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 0 | No identifiable list, channel, or inbound path |
| 1 | Vague audience; would require paid ads with no proven playbook |
| 2 | Audience exists but no clean list; cold outbound only |
| 3 | One grindy channel that could work with sustained effort |
| 4 | Clear list OR strong inbound signal, but not both |
| 5 | Clean buyer list + at least one secondary channel/inbound confirmed |

**Weight: 35 points** (Score × 7)

---

### 2. ARPA + Path to $1–3M ARR (20%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 0 | Requires 5,000+ customers to hit $1M ARR |
| 1 | Requires 3,000–5,000 customers |
| 2 | Requires 2,000–3,000 customers |
| 3 | Requires 1,000–2,000 customers |
| 4 | Requires 500–1,000 customers |
| 5 | Requires 200–500 customers (ARPA $150–$400/mo) |

**Weight: 20 points** (Score × 4)

---

### 3. Willingness to Pay / Urgency (15%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 0 | Pure nice-to-have; no deadline or pain driver |
| 1 | Mild convenience; saves some time |
| 2 | Noticeable time saver; some frustration with status quo |
| 3 | Clear time/money saver; buyers actively looking for solutions |
| 4 | Compliance-adjacent or tied to revenue; strong motivation |
| 5 | Mandatory/deadline-driven; non-compliance = penalties or lost revenue |

**Weight: 15 points** (Score × 3)

---

### 4. Scope + Support Load (15%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 0 | Heavy integrations, multi-jurisdiction, or extreme edge cases |
| 1 | Significant complexity; would need contractor help |
| 2 | Buildable but will have annoying support burden |
| 3 | Buildable in 6–10 weeks; moderate support expected |
| 4 | Buildable in 4–6 weeks; support load manageable |
| 5 | Buildable in 2–4 weeks; low support; clear scope |

**Weight: 15 points** (Score × 3)

---

### 5. Expandability (10%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 0 | Dead-end; no adjacent markets or upsells |
| 1 | Theoretical expansion but unclear path |
| 2 | One adjacent market or upsell tier possible |
| 3 | 2–3 adjacent verticals or clear upsell path |
| 4 | Strong lateral expansion (device types, states, compliance areas) |
| 5 | Platform potential; multiple expansion vectors confirmed |

**Weight: 10 points** (Score × 2)

---

### 6. Competition / Crowding (5%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 0 | Funded incumbents dominate; no wedge visible |
| 1 | Strong incumbents with loyal customer base |
| 2 | Incumbents exist but stagnant or poorly executed |
| 3 | Incumbents exist but clear wedge opportunity |
| 4 | Few direct competitors; mostly generic substitutes |
| 5 | Greenfield; no credible niche-specific players |

**Weight: 5 points** (Score × 1)

---

## Decision Thresholds

| Score Range | Decision | Action |
|-------------|----------|--------|
| 80–100 | **Pursue aggressively** | Start validation immediately |
| 65–79 | **Pursue conditionally** | Must clear 1–2 specific risks first |
| 50–64 | **Hold** | Needs more research or market timing |
| .md`

```markdown
# Niche Success Score: 

## Score Summary

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Total Score** | /100 |
| **Decision** | Pursue / Pursue-Conditional / Hold / Kill |
| **One-line rationale** | |

## Score Breakdown

| Dimension | Weight | Score (0–5) | Points | Notes |
|-----------|-------:|------------:|-------:|-------|
| Distribution (solo-executable) | 35 | | /35 | |
| ARPA + Path to $1–3M ARR | 20 | | /20 | |
| Willingness to Pay / Urgency | 15 | | /15 | |
| Scope + Support Load | 15 | | /15 | |
| Expandability | 10 | | /10 | |
| Competition / Crowding | 5 | | /5 | |
| **TOTAL** | 100 | — | **/100** | |

## Revenue Quality (Unweighted)

| Factor | Assessment |
|--------|------------|
| Contract structure | |
| Payment reliability | |
| Expansion revenue | |

## What Makes This Win (Top 3)

1. 
2. 
3. 

## What Kills This (Top 3)

1. 
2. 
3. 

## Lifestyle Math (Conservative)

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Target ARPA | |
| Customers for $1M ARR | |
| Customers for $3M ARR | |
| Primary acquisition channel | |
| Biggest assumption | |

## Founder Fit Summary

| Question | Answer |
|----------|--------|
| Natural buyer access? | Yes / No / Partial |
| Enjoy 50+ sales calls? | Yes / No / Unsure |
| Care in 3 years? | Yes / No / Unsure |
| Ethical concerns? | None / Minor / Major |

## Defensibility Assessment

| Moat Type | Present? | Strength |
|-----------|----------|----------|
| Data/workflow lock-in | Yes/No | Weak / Moderate / Strong |
| Relationship moat | Yes/No | Weak / Moderate / Strong |
| Distribution exclusivity | Yes/No | Weak / Moderate / Strong |
| Speed moat | Yes/No | Weak / Moderate / Strong |

## Next Steps (2-Week Gate)

### Validation Interviews

- **Target:** X interviews with [buyer persona]
- **Must hear:** 
- **Must NOT hear:**

### Pilot Design

- **Concierge pilot:**
- **Pricing test:**
- **Success metric:**

### Go/No-Go Criteria

- **Proceed if:**
- **Stop if:**

### Day-by-Day Plan

| Day | Activity | Deliverable |
|-----|----------|-------------|
| 1–3 | | |
| 4–7 | | |
| 8–10 | | |
| 11–14 | | |
```

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [kirillpolevoy](https://github.com/kirillpolevoy)
- **Source:** [kirillpolevoy/claude-saas-eval-skills](https://github.com/kirillpolevoy/claude-saas-eval-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-kirillpolevoy-claude-saas-eval-skills-niche-success-scorecard
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/kirillpolevoy
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.