Prefilled from idea: SilentStream — adjust anything below, nothing is saved until you choose to.
View ideaStartup Viability Engine
A pure-formula, no-AI startup calculator. Every number below is traceable to a stated formula — change any input and everything recalculates instantly, no page reload.
Viability score · out of 100
Business model
This changes which formulas run below — set it explicitly, it's never assumed.
LTV
CAC
LTV:CAC
CAC payback
- LTV
- CAC payback
- LTV:CAC
Not enough data to plot this yet.
Break-even
Runway
Year 1 ROI
Net profit margin
5-year revenue, based on the growth rate you assumed
- Break-even
- Runway
- Year 1 ROI
- Net profit margin
- Investment payback
Year 1 ROI and margin bands are a stated heuristic — no external benchmark exists for these the way one exists for LTV:CAC.
Not enough data to plot this yet.
Shown unbanded — a search volume threshold isn't "good" or "bad" across verticals.
Your expected conversion is above 20% — that's optimistic for cold traffic, worth validating.
Execution risk
Time risk
Budget risk
Skill gap risk
This is a stated heuristic, not an industry-standard benchmark.
- Execution risk
- Time risk
- Budget adequacy risk
- Skill gap risk
Channel dependency
Top channel
Channels used
Percentages auto-normalize to 100 if they don't already sum to it.
- Channel dependency
Your top channel is paid AND your LTV:CAC is weak — compounding risk.
Hidden Opportunity Detector, Business Personality, Investor View & Explain-Why
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Upgrade to BuilderHidden opportunities
No strong opportunity signals detected in the current numbers.
Business personality
Investor view
Explain-why
Nothing urgent to fix based on the current numbers.
Stress test
The traffic slider holds ad spend constant — fewer visitors at the same spend means CAC per conversion effectively rises, and projected revenue falls proportionally. It does not scale spend down.
Not enough data to plot this yet.
Matching ideas from IdeaCrawl
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No matching ideas found — try adjusting your inputs.
What the Startup Viability Engine calculates
Five real financial and market signals, computed from your own numbers — not an AI guess.
Unit economics
Break-even point, CAC payback, and LTV:CAC from your price, costs, and churn.
Financial health
Runway, burn rate, and Year 1 ROI against your available budget.
Founder fit
Whether your available hours and skill level match what the idea actually demands.
Growth engine
Projected MRR growth from your market size, conversion rate, and acquisition channels.
Idea matching
Similar, already-validated business ideas from IdeaCrawl's library, ranked by fit.
Or run one calculator on its own
Every module above is also available as a standalone, pre-scrolled calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Startup Viability Engine free to use?
Yes. Every calculator is completely free, with no signup required to get instant results. Creating a free account only adds the ability to save and share a snapshot of your results.
What does the Startup Viability Engine calculate?
It scores your startup idea across five areas: unit economics, financial health, founder fit, growth engine, and idea matching against similar validated business ideas already in IdeaCrawl's library.
Is this based on AI, or something else?
Pure formulas, not AI. Every number comes from standard startup finance math (break-even, CAC payback, LTV:CAC, MRR projection, ROI) applied to the inputs you provide, so the same inputs always produce the same, explainable result.
Can I calculate just one thing, like my break-even point?
Yes. Standalone calculators are available for break-even, customer acquisition cost (CAC), SaaS MRR projection, startup ROI, and pricing/margin health, each pre-scrolled straight to that module.
Do I need to create an account to save my results?
No account is needed to run the calculator. If you do want to revisit or share your results later, you can save a snapshot and get a private link back to it at any time.