Test Your Ideas With an AI ‘Shark Tank’!

A Quick Word

Now we're cooking, AI that will tell the truth about your ideas. I ran the concept of this newsletter through FlowKitten, and the feedback opened my eyes to how tough this business would be. Time for me to get cranking! —Kevin

7 Questions with FlowKitten’s Scott Lichtenstein

I’ve spent over 20 years working with founder-led companies in sales and leadership roles, helping them grow and navigate challenges. My passion for innovation and efficiency led me to create FlowKitten, a tool that provides instant, actionable pre-validation on startup ideas. It doesn’t replace true validation, but it helps entrepreneurs narrow down which ideas are worth deeper exploration before investing significant time and resources.

What sets FlowKitten apart is its simplicity, no logins or complex setups, just immediate, valuable insights. Users can choose between supportive encouragement or a tough, no-nonsense critique. It’s designed for the busy entrepreneur who comes up with multiple ideas per day and needs quick, no-fluff feedback to determine which ones are worth pursuing.

The name 'Flow Kitten' is a playful blend of two key ideas: 'Flow,' representing the creative process and how ideas need to continuously move and evolve, and 'Kitten,' which adds a lighthearted, approachable vibe. Startups can feel overwhelming, so I wanted a name that made the process feel a little less intimidating.

The app itself was born out of a personal need. I often come up with multiple startup ideas a day, and I wanted a quick, reliable way to validate them without relying on friends and colleagues who might get tired of being my sounding board. FlowKitten solves that by giving instant feedback on ideas and helping entrepreneurs like me figure out which ones are worth pursuing.

The AI behind FlowKitten is designed to handle a wide range of ideas by analyzing patterns across different industries and business models. It’s not just giving generic feedback; it adjusts its advice based on the type of idea it’s reviewing.

One of the biggest challenges was getting the AI to recognize and respond to the nuances of different ideas. For example, a product-based startup requires a different set of considerations compared to a SaaS business. A fun challenge we encountered was implementing ‘Roast Mode,’ where users get brutally honest feedback. I was surprised by how much people loved the tough-love approach. It turns out that many users actually prefer harsh critiques to sugar-coated advice!

One big ‘aha’ moment came when I realized that users didn’t just want supportive, encouraging feedback; they wanted the tough, unfiltered truth. Initially, I thought the softer, more motivational tone would be the most popular, but I was wrong. The ‘Roast Mode’ and ‘Brutally Honest Friend’ ended up being a favorite! This led me to focus more on ensuring that even the bluntest critiques were actionable and helpful, not just harsh for the sake of it.

Another revelation was how much value users placed on speed. They weren’t looking for a deep dive, just quick, relevant insights that helped them decide whether to move forward with an idea or not.

Yes, we’ve had some really interesting stories! One user shared how FlowKitten helped them avoid a significant investment in a product that didn’t have enough demand, saving them both time and money. Another user pivoted their entire business idea after the app pointed out potential roadblocks they hadn’t considered, and that pivot ended up leading them to a more viable opportunity.

I’ve even had students using it for school projects, which was a surprise! It’s been exciting to see how versatile FlowKitten has been across different industries and stages of development.

My dream is for FlowKitten to become the go-to tool for entrepreneurs to evaluate their ideas before making significant investments or material changes in their products or workflows. We're working on some exciting features, including more personalized advice that adapts based on your experience level and business type.

I'm also exploring the possibility of integrating detailed market research so the feedback is even more tailored to your specific industry. Another big feature in the works is a community aspect, where users can share their results and get feedback from others. There's plenty more in store, and I'm excited to see how FlowKitten continues to evolve

I love connecting with fellow entrepreneurs and helping them along their journey! If you’d like to reach me directly for advice or collaboration, you can connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/slichtenstein or find me on X (formerly Twitter) @eNotifyApp.

I’m always happy to chat with others passionate about turning ideas into reality.

👇️ FlowKitten Website