Vitamin Painkiller Launch

Is Your Startup a Vitamin or a Painkiller? Find Out Now.

Hey founders,

This is a follow-up from my last post Vitamin vs Painkiller

Ever wondered if your startup is truly a 'painkiller' or just a 'vitamin'? The distinction can make or break your journey to product-market fit. Today, I’m excited to launch a quick assessment that helps you determine exactly that.

The 'Vitamin vs Painkiller' concept is one of those core ideas that can change how you see your product. Is what you're building just a nice-to-have—something that makes life better but isn’t crucial? Or is it solving a deep, painful need that keeps your customers up at night? Painkillers are what people will pay for, seek out, and stick with. Vitamins are often the first thing to go when budgets get tight. And figuring out which one your startup is—and how to pivot if needed—is key to finding real traction.In the assessment, I share some of the questions I wish I’d asked myself sooner during the early days of Hi5. Initially, we were a recognition platform—nice to have, but not essential. We later pivoted into a peer review platform, becoming a must-have tool for HR teams who needed better feedback systems to keep their companies moving. That shift was crucial for us.

The assessment is easy, quick, and designed to give you clarity on where your product stands and how to shift gears if you need to. I've learned that success isn’t always about working harder; it’s about working on the right things. And understanding whether you're building a vitamin or a painkiller is one of those things.

If you're looking to make your product indispensable, take the assessment and let me know what you find. I’d love any feedback! Big shoutout to Roger Norton for all the ruthless feedback so far 🙏

You can check it out here: [Vitamin vs Painkiller Assessment](excuse the temp hosting, will get a domain soooooon).

PLEASE share your scores below, keen to here about some painkiller ideas out there!

Stay Scrappy 🚀