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wtf is cold-review?

dusk-futile/cold-review — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

21Audience · pm founderComplexity · 1/5LicenseSetup · easy

TL;DR

An AI prompt that pressure tests a project idea by checking evidence and competitors, then delivers a Kill, Pivot, Test, or Build verdict.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Cold Review))
    What it does
      Pressure tests ideas
      Gives one decision
      Kill Pivot Test Build
    How to use
      Copy PROMPT.md
      Paste into AI
      Add project details
    Inputs needed
      Target user
      Competitors
      Evidence
    Limitations
      Not validated on all models
      Not professional advice
    License
      MIT License

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Paste your startup idea into ChatGPT or Claude to get an honest Kill, Pivot, Test, or Build verdict.

REASON 2

Check your project's assumptions and evidence before committing more time or money.

REASON 3

Compare your idea against real competitors when your AI tool has browsing enabled.

How it stacks up

dusk-futile/cold-review0whitedev/detranspiler0xluk3/zk-resources
Stars212121
LanguagePython
Setup difficultyeasyhardeasy
Complexity1/54/51/5
Audiencepm founderdeveloperresearcher

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

Wtf does this do

Cold Review is a prompt, not a piece of software, meant to be pasted into an AI chat tool. It gives project ideas a second opinion evaluation, examining evidence, checking competitors when the AI can browse the web, questioning assumptions that are not backed by data, and finishing with one of four decisions: Kill, Pivot, Test, or Build. To use it, you open the file called PROMPT.md, copy its full text, and paste it into an AI system such as ChatGPT or Claude. Then you add a clear description of your own project underneath the pasted prompt. If your AI tool supports web browsing, turning it on helps the review compare your idea against real competitors. Afterward, you are expected to independently check any important claims or sources the AI cites, since it cannot guarantee accuracy on its own. For a stronger review, the project recommends including a long list of details about your idea: what it is, what stage it is at, who the target user is, what problem it solves, how people currently work around that problem, why someone would switch to your solution, known competitors, your pricing or business model, how you plan to reach users, and any real evidence you have such as usage numbers, retention, feedback, or past test results. If you do not know something, the instructions say to write unknown or none rather than making something up. The project is upfront about its limits. It has not been tested formally across every AI model, and its output quality depends on which model you use, whether browsing is turned on, the quality of sources found, and how much detail you provide. Any similarity scores it produces are described as estimates, not facts. It also states clearly that it does not replace professional legal, financial, medical, safety, privacy, or security advice. The project is released under the MIT License, and its current version is 1.1.2 beta.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Open PROMPT.md from the Cold Review repo, copy the full prompt, and paste it into Claude along with a description of my project so I can get a Kill, Pivot, Test, or Build decision.
Prompt 2
Using the Cold Review prompt structure, evaluate my SaaS idea including its target user, problem, competitors, and pricing model, and give me one clear decision.
Prompt 3
Run my early stage app concept through the Cold Review evidence first framework and tell me what evidence I am missing before I build more.
Prompt 4
Apply the Cold Review prompt to pressure test my content project's retention numbers and tell me honestly whether to kill it, pivot it, or keep building.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is cold-review?

An AI prompt that pressure tests a project idea by checking evidence and competitors, then delivers a Kill, Pivot, Test, or Build verdict.

What license does cold-review use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is cold-review to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is cold-review for?

Mainly pm founder.

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