Today, we'll start a business in 20(ish) minutes. We'll talk through the idea, figure out assumptions, run a test, and make a decision. We leverage a three step process to figure out if the idea is worth our time: Whisper Ideas vs. Rooftop Ideas, Rivers and Dams, and a Hypothesis Test.
Nov 2025
The Five Minute Business Idea Tester
The Five Minute Business Idea Tester In this episode of Join Up Dots, David Ralph dives into the question every aspiring entrepreneur faces — how do you know if your idea is actually worth pursuing? Inspired by a listener's email, David unpacks the 5-Minute Idea Test, a simple bu ... Show More
14m 1s
Mar 2022
Great Startup Ideas, Bad Businesses
I sent out a tweet asking my followers: "what’s a startup idea that sounds great in theory but would be a shitty business?” 1,600 likes and 700 responses later, I'm running some of your ideas through the gauntlet and walking you through how I analyze and form business ideas. Chec ... Show More
15m 52s
Mar 2019
The Four People Every Startup Needs
<p class="p1">People overthink their businesses - who they hire, how they market and what they spend their money on.</p> <p class="p1">If you're a start-up, I firmly believe you can make real noise with a small, scrappy team of three or four people. You just have to know what you ... Show More
8m 9s