// OUT · Decide · AIKO-IXR
Idea X-Ray: does your idea pay back, before you invest?
See how much money your idea needs and when, before you put it in. Answer 12 questions about your idea. There are no files to prepare, and it takes about 30 minutes. From your answers Aiko prepares a 24-month cash flow, break-even, scenarios and a go / fix / stop verdict. Every number is labelled as your assumption.
What you get
// cash flow + break-even
24 months of cash, month by month
Break-even in customers per month and the month you reach it, the cash low point, and how much funding you need against what you have.
// scenarios + verdict
Six what-ifs and a clear verdict
Price −10 %, half the pace, first sale 3 months later, fixed costs +20 %, customers paying 30 days later, and all combined. Then go, fix or stop, with the findings behind it.
// plan + pitch
A business and investment plan, a 30-day test and a pitch
A plan to test the idea with real customers in 30 days, and a short pitch for a bank, an investor or a partner.
Who it is for
Companies that have not started trading or have traded for less than 12 months, with up to 9 people: a limited company, or founders setting one up.
Who works with you
You will work with Aiko, the digital consultant at AIKO Node (an AI). An AIKO Node specialist reviews the plan before you receive it.
Already trading longer?
After 12 months real figures say more than an idea test. The Sales X-Ray and the Margin X-Ray are built for that.
How it works
- 1~30 min
Your answers
You answer 12 questions, here or by e-mail.
- 215 min
How we read them
Within 1 working day you receive how we read your assumptions and the price. You confirm and answer a few follow-up questions.
- 3~10 days
Your plan
You receive the report, the business and investment plan, a 30-day idea test plan and a pitch.
The 12 questions
If you do not know a number, write “don’t know”. Aiko will suggest a simple way to estimate it, and the gap becomes a finding in the report, not a reason to stop. Enter amounts excluding VAT, in the currency you will sell in.
- 1
In one sentence: what will you sell, and to whom?required
E.g. “Cleaning for small offices in Leeds”.
- 2
Who is your first customer, and how many have you spoken to? How many said yes in writing?
Count real conversations only, not friends’ opinions.
DON’T KNOWEnter 0 – it becomes the first step of the 30-day plan.
- 3
What does that customer do today instead, and what does it cost them?
E.g. they do it themselves, use another supplier, or do nothing.
DON’T KNOWDescribe what the customer does now; we will estimate the cost together from their time or another supplier’s price.
- 4
What price will you charge (excluding VAT), and how did you get to it?
The price your first customer will pay.
DON’T KNOWEnter the nearest alternative supplier’s price – we will use it as the starting assumption.
- 5
What does each sale cost you directly (materials, delivery, fees)?
Only costs that arise with each sale.
DON’T KNOWList what one sale needs; we will total it from the supplier prices you give.
- 6
How many customers do you expect in month 1, month 6 and month 12?
Be careful: this is the most often overestimated assumption.
DON’T KNOWWe will start from how many customers a month you can serve yourself and mark it as a finding.
- 7
How will those customers find you, and what will each channel cost per month?
E.g. referrals, Google, LinkedIn, a partner – a cost and a customer count for each.
DON’T KNOWEnter the channel names; we will estimate cost and count in the conversation.
- 8
What will you pay every month regardless of sales (rent, software, insurance, your own pay)?
Include your own pay, even if you will not draw it at first.
DON’T KNOWUse the checklist: rent, software, insurance, bookkeeping, phone, your own pay.
- 9
What do you need to buy before the first sale? List each item and its cost.
E.g. equipment, website, opening stock, registration.
DON’T KNOWUse the checklist: equipment, website, opening stock, registration, first marketing, a cash reserve; missing items become a finding.
- 10
How much of this is your own money, how much do you need to raise, from where, and by when?
E.g. own savings, a bank, an investor, family.
DON’T KNOWEnter only your own money – the report will show how much is missing and by when.
- 11
When do your customers pay you, and when do you pay your suppliers (in days)?
If customers pay upfront, enter 0.
DON’T KNOWWe will use 30 days on both sides and label it as an assumption.
- 12
Is the company registered yet (when), how many people work in it, and how many hours a week can you give it?required
Include yourself.
You can also send your answers by e-mail: aiko@aikonode.com. Aiko replies within minutes; where a human decision is needed, within 1 working day.
Price
One fixed price, paid in advance. You pay only after you have seen how we read your answers: the offer with a payment link comes with step 2. No VAT is charged: AIKO Node is not a VAT payer.
- Card payment in your currency through Stripe, or bank transfer on a pro-forma invoice
- Invoice sent automatically after payment
- Refund by progress, as in our Terms of Sale
Good to know
Is it done by AI?
Aiko is an AI consultant and always says so. The calculations follow a fixed method, and an AIKO Node specialist reviews the plan before you receive it.
Do I need a spreadsheet?
No. The 12 answers are enough.
What is not included
Legal, tax or investment advice, a company valuation, or a full business plan in a bank’s own format. The report is based on your answers and is not legal, tax or investment advice.
What happens to my answers
We use your answers only to prepare your report and keep them for 12 months after the work ends. More in our Privacy Policy.
What if my activity is regulated?
Then Aiko passes your question to an AIKO Node specialist before anything else, who answers within 1 working day.