Archetype catalog
The 16 startup-idea clusters Trigvale uses.
Every idea Trigvale evaluates gets mapped to 1–3 archetypes from this catalog. Each cluster has its own structural cautions — the things ideas in that shape commonly underweight or get wrong. The mapping isn’t outcome prediction; it’s pattern recognition that surfaces the questions you skipped.
The live evidence pipeline (Reddit, GitHub, Hacker News, Stack Overflow, dev.to) is partitioned by archetype, so the signal feeding your verdict is shared across other founders building in the same shape — not your literal idea text. See methodology for the full pipeline.
solo-dev-tools
Solo dev tools
CLI, library, plugin, or SaaS targeted at individual developers.
3 structural cautionsReadvertical-ai-saas
Vertical AI SaaS
AI-first SaaS targeting a specific industry niche.
3 structural cautionsReadai-wrapper
AI wrapper
Thin product layer over a frontier model API.
3 structural cautionsReadagentic-workflow
Agentic workflow
Multi-step automation orchestrating LLMs + tools to complete tasks autonomously.
3 structural cautionsReadapi-first-saas
API-first SaaS
Backend API or data product consumed primarily by other software.
3 structural cautionsReadhorizontal-b2b-saas
Horizontal B2B SaaS
Generic B2B SaaS not tied to a specific industry.
3 structural cautionsReadconsumer-mobile
Consumer mobile
Mobile-first app for individual consumers.
3 structural cautionsReadconsumer-web
Consumer web
Web-first product for individual consumers.
3 structural cautionsReadmarketplace
Marketplace
Multi-sided platform connecting two or more user types.
3 structural cautionsReadcreator-tools
Creator tools
Tools for content creators, streamers, influencers.
3 structural cautionsReadcompliance-saas
Compliance SaaS
B2B product whose value is regulatory or audit posture.
3 structural cautionsReaddata-pipeline
Data pipeline
ETL, ingest, transform, sync, or reverse-ETL between systems.
3 structural cautionsReadproductized-service
Productized service
Service work packaged with a software wrapper or fixed pricing.
3 structural cautionsReadbrowser-extension
Browser extension
Chrome / Firefox / Edge extension as the primary surface.
3 structural cautionsReadcontent-platform
Content platform
Newsletter, course, community, or media product where content IS the product.
3 structural cautionsReadniche-other
Niche / other
Doesn't fit cleanly into the catalog.
3 structural cautionsRead
Why archetypes
Pattern recognition, not outcome prediction.
Trigvale will never claim a rubric score predicts founder success — outcome is dominated by execution, distribution, timing, and luck. What archetype clustering does is catch the structural patterns that ideas in a given shape consistently underweight. If you’re building a marketplace, “cold start” is going to be a load-bearing risk; if you’re building an AI wrapper, “the underlying model adds your feature next quarter” is. That’s what these cards surface — before you write the code.