Think big

A repeatable version of the "could we sell this to <the obvious incumbent>" exercise. Goal: take an aspirational commercialization question and answer it with real numbers, not vibes. The whole point of this skill is that the big vision gets grounded, not inflated.

The pass

1. Understand the thing. Read the actual code/docs/application materials for whatever is being asked about — don't assume you remember its shape from a prior conversation. Note what's actually built vs. aspirational.

2. Research real comps before speculating. WebSearch for actual acquisitions, valuations, and funding rounds in the adjacent space — companies that do something similar, one tier up (funded/scaled) and one tier over (an adjacent niche that already got bought). Never freelance a valuation number from priors; pull it.

3. Separate commodity from moat. What part of this could a well-resourced incumbent rebuild in a sprint (usually: the interface/integration layer)? What part is structurally hard for the obvious acquirer to replicate because it conflicts with their incentives (usually: anything that serves the end-user against the paying customer's interest)? The moat is the thing worth protecting in any deal, not the thing to sell first.

4. Give the honest current-stage number, even when it's underwhelming. Pre-revenue/pre-pilot solo-founder work is usually acquihire territory — say so plainly, with the comp that supports it. Resist anchoring on the category's best-case/unicorn number; name it as the ceiling, not the plan.

5. Work backwards into a staged, dated roadmap. From the big goal, lay out the concrete near-term milestones that would actually move the valuation — usage data, a distribution/marketplace integration, a pilot, a specific metric a buyer would ask for — not just "grow and then sell."

6. Flag the one structural decision that needs making now. Name what could get compromised or stripped by the obvious exit path, and what needs to be protected/spun out/contractually locked before any deal conversation, not discovered after.

Output shape

Validate the instinct (is there real market signal?) → comps table with sources → honest current-stage price → staged roadmap with concrete next actions → the one risk/decision to lock down now. Always include a Sources section (WebSearch tool requirement). Keep it tight — this is a grounding exercise, not an essay.