Do you have a million-dollar idea in your head, just waiting to be acted upon? Or will it be a complete bust — an idea with no actual potential for return?

　　你脑子里有一个好点子，它价值万金，就等着你动手大干一场了?抑或它只是个空想，实际上完全赚不回钱来?

　　This question is one that stops many would-be entrepreneurs in their tracks before they even take the chance and launch their potential business ventures. Fortunately, it is possible to make a more educated guess on your idea’s likelihood of success or failure by taking the time to validate your idea before moving forward with it.

　　这个问题撂倒了很多想创业的人，在冒把险成立个公司前停下了脚步。幸好，在把你的想法付诸行动之前，你大可以拿出一段时间，先验证下其成功或失败的可能性，让自己更有把握一些。

　　Here are 20 questions you can ask to validate your startup idea — before you commit significant time, money or other resources to its launch:

　　以下，就是20个你应该扪心自问的问题。在投入大量时间、金钱和其他资源之前，来对你的创业点子进行一番验证：

　　1. What problem are you solving? 你要解决什么问题?

　　If you can’t clearly state the problem your product or service solves, you probably don’t have a successful idea.

　　如果你无法明确说出自己的产品或服务能解决的问题，你的点子可能根本就不靠谱。

　　2. How have others attempted to solve this problem before, and why did their solutions succeed or fail?

　　此前其他人是如何试图解决这个问题的?他们的解决方案成功或失败的原因是什么?

　　There’s a lot you can learn from those who have gone before you.

　　你可以从先行者那里学到很多。

　　3. How many specific benefits for your product or idea can you list?

　　你能为自己的产品或创意列出多少个具体的优点?

　　The more you can think of, the more likely it is that you’re meeting a real need and can be successful.

　　你能想出来的优点越多，便越有可能表明你的产品真正满足了一种需求，成功的几率也就越大。

　　4. Can you state, in clear language, the key features of your product or service?

　　你能否用清晰的语言说明该产品或服务的主要特性?

　　Not being able to easily describe the key features of your idea is a warning sign that the idea isn’t well thought out yet.

　　如果你无法用简单的语言描述这些主要特性，这可能意味着你的想法尚不成熟。

　　5. Does your idea already exist in the same way you were going to create it?

　　是否有人已先你一步，把这个点子做出来了?

　　If a similar solution exists, how will yours be different? If you don’t have any clear differentiating benefits or features, you likely need a new idea.

　　如果已经存在类似的解决方案，你如何实现差异化?如果你没有任何明确的、差异化的优点或特性，你可能需要换个新点子。

　　6. Who are your potential competitors? 你的潜在竞争对手有哪些?

　　Having competitors isn’t a bad thing — it means a market exists. However, knowing what you’ll face if you launch is important, as an overcrowded marketplace or one where consumers have a strong affinity for the dominant brand may be more difficult to break into.

　　有竞争对手不是坏事——这意味着这个市场确实存在。尽管如此，如果一个市场的竞争过于激烈，或者主导品牌在消费者中建立了强烈的亲和力，这样的市场将很难进入，因此，了解你创业后要面对的一切非常重要。

　　7. What key features does my product or service have that others will have a hard time copying?

　　我的产品和服务有哪些关键特性是别人很难复制的?

　　Before you go into business, you need to be very clear about what sets you apart from competitors.

　　在开始创业前，你需要非常清楚自己与竞争对手的区别所在。

　　8. Have you done a SWOT analysis? 你是否做过SWOT分析?

　　This framework helps you to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that your idea has, giving you a better idea of the overall likelihood for success.

　　这个框架可以帮助你了解自己想法中的优势、不足、机会和威胁，让你对成功的可能性有更清晰的认识。

　　9. Do you have access to the various resources you need to launch a business?

　　你是否有渠道获得创业所需的各种资源?

　　While you don’t need to be rich to launch a business, you will need some combination of time and money, depending on the scope of your idea. If you have no way to access everything you need, you’re better off waiting to launch your company until your situation is different.

　　虽然创业者不一定要很有钱，但你肯定需要投入一定量的时间和资金，多少则根据你想创业的方向而定。如果你没有渠道去获得所需的资源，最好等到情况有好转了再考虑创业。

　　10. Do you have a mentor or industry advisor that you can call on?

　　你是否有一位导师或行业顾问可以征求建议?

　　Certainly, you can go it alone if you have to, but when you start a new business, having the advice of others in a similar business space can prevent unnecessary expenditures or missteps.

　　当然，在不得已的情况下你也可以单枪匹马，但在创建新公司的时候，来自相关行业的其他人的建议，可以帮助你避免一些不必要的开支和失误。

　　11. Can you name somebody who would benefit from your product or service?

　　你能否说出谁将从你的产品或服务中获益?

　　This is the beginning of market research — who do you actually know that would use your idea? A general demographic isn’t enough, so take the time to hone in your target buyer personas.

　　这是市场研究的开始——你知道谁会成为你的用户吗?笼统的调查结果并不足以说明问题，你必须花时间全力研究你的目标客户。