---

name: idea-check description: "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'." metadata: {"openclaw":{"requires":{"bins":["mcporter"]}}}

Idea Check

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:

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

{
  "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

<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