This story is published in partnership with Entrepreneur. This story originally appeared at Entrepreneur.com

    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?

    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.

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

    1. What problem are you solving?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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.

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

    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.

    6. Who are your potential competitors?

    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.

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

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

    8. Have you done a SWOT analysis?

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

    12. What is the size of the market that will buy your product or service?

    If you don’t know the size of the market, you have a lot of research ahead of you. Understanding how many people need your idea — and what they’re willing to pay for it — will help you determine whether your concept is viable.

    13. Have you reached out to potential customers for feedback?

    Getting feedback before investing further money can help you avoid creating a product or service that nobody really wants.

    14. Can you set up a landing page and encourage interested people to sign up for more information?

    This can be an easy and inexpensive way to test interest in a product or service. If a lot of people are interested, it’s a great sign that you’re on the right track!

    15. What would it take to build a minimum viable product to test the market?

    One mistake many entrepreneurs make is thinking that they have to launch a finished concept right away. Consider starting small, gauging interest and iterating as you go.

    16. Can you get paying customers from your target market to pre-order based on a blueprint or mockup?

    Pre-orders are a solid sign of customer commitment. Someone saying they’re interested is one thing, but seeing people actually pony up their credit card information is a much stronger sign of potential success.

    17. Can you produce the actual product yourself, or do you have a partner who can?

    As you might expect, before launch, you need to know who’s actually going to produce the first set of products or services, as well as whether they can do so within your budget.

    18. Do you have distributors or partners to help you scale your business?

    Once you have paying customers, you’ll need to ramp up actual distribution to meet demand. Do you have access to the partners and/or money needed to do so?

    19. What will it take to break even or make a profit?

    Some ideas take a lot of upfront investment, while others don’t. If yours does, it’s a good idea to plan for how you’ll handle your finances and daily needs while you’re waiting for your product or service to gain traction.

    20. How can investors in your idea make a profit?

    If you want others to come alongside your business and help you grow, you’ll have to know how they can benefit.

    It may take some time to come up with answers to all these questions, but once you have them, you should have a better idea about how viable your idea is. If it passes these tests, go for it! If not, keep thinking — your next idea may be the one that changes the world.

    11. 你能否说出谁将从你的产品或服务中获益？

    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。

    12. 可能会购买你产品或服务的市场规模有多大？

    如果你还不清楚市场的规模，就必须进行大量的调研。了解有多少人需要你的创意——以及他们愿意花多少钱购买，这些调查结果将帮助你确定自己的想法是否可行。

    13. 你是否曾向潜在客户寻求反馈？

    在加大投资之前获得反馈，可以帮你避免做出一款没人真的想要的产品或服务。

    14. 你能否设计出一个登陆页面，鼓励有兴趣的人注册成用户以了解更多信息？

    用这种方式来测试消费者对一款产品或服务的兴趣，简单又花不了多少钱。如果有许多人对此感兴趣，这表明你已经找对了方向！

    15. 生产一款可用于市场测试的最简便可行产品的成本是多少？

    许多创业者常犯的一个错误，就是认为他们必须马上将一个完整的成品推向市场。创业者应该考虑从小做起，测试消费者的兴趣，并不断完善更新。

    16. 你能否让目标市场的付费客户，根据设计图或实物模型便预订产品?

    产品预订是客户承诺的可靠标志。有人说，消费者感兴趣是一回事，而下单订购则是另外一回事。后者是更强有力的成功信号。

    17. 你能否自己生产产品？或者这方面你有没有一位可靠的合作方？

    正如你所料想的那样，在创业之前，你需要知道实际上将由谁生产第一批产品或服务，以及生产成本是否在你的预算范围之内？

    18. 你有没有可以帮你扩大业务规模的经销商或合作伙伴？

    找到付费客户之后，你需要增加实际发货量来满足需求。你有没有渠道找到合作伙伴以及所需的资金？

    19. 如何才能实现收支平衡或盈利？

    有些创意需要大量前期投资，有些则不需要。如果你的想法属于前者，在等待自己的产品或服务获得认可的同时，你最好制定一套方案，解决如何处理公司的财务与日常需求等问题。

    20. 投资者如何从你的想法中获利？

    如果你希望在创业时，有人与你风雨同舟，帮助你成长，你必须知道如何让他们从中获益。

    要给出所有这些问题的答案，或许需要花上一些时间，但一旦你有了答案，也就能更清楚看出自己的想法是否可行。如果它通过了所有这些检验，那就放手去做吧！反之，请继续思考——你的下一个点子或许就将改变世界。（财富中文网）

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓