Every indie hacker has been there: you get an idea, get excited, spend weeks building it — and later find out nobody wanted it, or that a free competitor is already doing the same thing better.

The Vetlyst Side Project Validation Tracker is a 6-step spreadsheet that forces you to answer the hard questions before you write a single line of code:

1. Idea Capture — write down the idea, your target audience, and why now is the right time

2. Constraint Filter — 4 questions that rule out ideas that don't fit your real-life situation

3. Saturation Check — a ready-to-use search prompt to take to any AI and find out if a competitor already exists

4. Financial Model — 3 scenarios (pessimistic/realistic/optimistic) that automatically calculate your probability-weighted Expected Value

5. Channel, Pricing & Decision — where to sell, what to charge, and your final decision documented with the why

What's included: complete spreadsheet with working formulas, step-by-step instructions tab, unlimited use.

Best for: indie hackers, side project builders, freelancers evaluating new offers.