Idea Check

Pre-build reality check before starting any new project or tool. Use when the user discusses a new idea, asks about competition, wants to know if something already exists, or says 'has anyone built', 'does this exist', 'check competition'.

Scans GitHub, Hacker News, npm, PyPI, and Product Hunt to assess whether a project idea already exists before building it.

Prerequisites

This skill requires the idea-reality-mcp MCP server registered in mcporter:

bash

mcporter config add idea-reality --command "uvx idea-reality-mcp"

Workflow

1. Extract the idea description

From the user's message, extract a clear, concise description of the project idea (1-2 sentences). Strip conversational filler.

2. Choose depth

User intent	Depth
Quick check, casual mention	quick (GitHub + HN only)
Serious project, "deep check", "thorough scan"	deep (all 5 sources in parallel)
Default	quick

3. Run the reality check

json

{
  "tool": "exec",
  "command": "mcporter call idea-reality.idea_check idea_text=\"<extracted idea description>\" depth=quick"
}

4. Interpret the result

The tool returns a JSON with reality_signal (0-100), evidence, top_similars, and pivot_hints.

Apply these rules:

Signal	Action
> 70 (crowded)	STOP. Report top competitors. Ask if the user wants to proceed, pivot, or abandon.
30-70 (moderate)	Show results + pivot hints. Suggest a niche angle that existing projects don't cover.
< 30 (open)	Green light. Mention the space is open and proceed.

5. Format the response

text

<emoji> Idea Check — <signal>/100

<one-line verdict>

Top competitors:
1. <name> — <stars> stars — <description>
2. <name> — <stars> stars — <description>
3. <name> — <stars> stars — <description>

Sources: <list of sources checked>
<pivot hints if signal > 30>

Emoji mapping:

• Signal > 70: use a red indicator
• Signal 30-70: use a yellow indicator
• Signal < 30: use a green indicator

6. Error handling

• If the MCP tool is not available → tell the user to register idea-reality-mcp in openclaw.json (show the config snippet from Prerequisites)
• If the tool returns an error → report the error as-is, do not retry
• If top_similars is empty → note that no direct competitors were found but the signal score still reflects broader activity

Examples

User says	Depth	Expected behavior
"Has anyone built a CLI for tracking gym workouts?"	quick	Run check, likely high signal, show competitors
"I want to build an MCP server for pre-build validation"	quick	Run check, likely low signal, green light
"Deep check: AI-powered code review tool"	deep	Run deep scan, very high signal, suggest pivot
"Is there a market for a Telegram bot that tracks habits?"	quick	Run check, show results + pivot suggestions