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idea-reality-mcp

by mnemox-ai · mnemox-ai/idea-reality-mcp

Before you spend a weekend building it, get a 0–100 reality score — scans GitHub, npm, PyPI, HN, Product Hunt, Stack Overflow for prior art.

idea-reality-mcp exposes a single tool, idea_check, that takes a natural-language idea and scores how crowded the space is. Quick mode hits GitHub + HN; deep mode adds npm, PyPI, Product Hunt, and SO. Returns competitor links, trend direction, and pivot suggestions.

▶ Watch demo 📦 Install 💡 Use Cases

Why use it

Key features

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

idea-reality.replay ▶ ready
0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json  · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idea-reality": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "idea-reality-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idea-reality": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "idea-reality-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idea-reality": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "idea-reality-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idea-reality": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "idea-reality-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json
{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "idea-reality",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "idea-reality-mcp"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json
{
  "context_servers": {
    "idea-reality": {
      "command": {
        "path": "uvx",
        "args": [
          "idea-reality-mcp"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add idea-reality -- uvx idea-reality-mcp

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use idea-reality-mcp

Validate a SaaS idea in 10 seconds before you build

👤 Founders, indie hackers, side-project tinkerers ⏱ ~10 min beginner

When to use: That 'I should build X' feeling at 2am — run it through reality check first.

Flow
  1. Quick check
    Run idea_check on 'a mobile app that uses ML to predict plant watering needs'. Quick depth.✓ Copied
    → Score 0-100 + top 5 existing projects
  2. Deep dive if promising
    If the quick score is <60, run deep mode for full market scan including Product Hunt launches.✓ Copied
    → Expanded list with trend arrows + funding signals
  3. Pivot if crowded
    Given the top 5 competitors, suggest 3 pivot angles that are less crowded.✓ Copied
    → Specific, narrower positioning options

Outcome: 10 minutes of evidence-based triage instead of 10 weekends of parallel-inventing.

Pitfalls
  • Score high just because nobody built it — maybe because no one wants it — Look at HN comments + SO question volume; zero demand signal is as bad as saturation

Map existing competitors before a product kickoff

👤 PMs, founders writing a one-pager ⏱ ~20 min intermediate

When to use: You're scoping a product and need a real competitor list, not your own biased knowledge.

Prerequisites
  • GITHUB_TOKEN for higher rate limits — github.com/settings/tokens — no scopes needed
Flow
  1. Run deep mode
    Deep idea_check on 'realtime collaborative code review tool for remote teams'.✓ Copied
    → List of 10+ competitors with stars/launches/dates
  2. Cluster by approach
    Group the competitors by approach (IDE plugin vs standalone vs browser extension). What's missing?✓ Copied
    → Gap analysis

Outcome: A one-pager with a real competitive map.

Combine with: firecrawl

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

idea-reality + firecrawl

Deep-dive a competitor's landing/pricing page for real positioning

idea_check flagged Competitor X. Use firecrawl to scrape their pricing page and summarize their plans.✓ Copied
idea-reality + notion

Dump validation results into a validation journal

For today's idea_check on 'AI for gardeners', create a Notion page with the score and competitor list.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

ToolInputsWhen to callCost
idea_check idea_text: str, depth?: 'quick'|'deep' Any idea worth more than 30 min of your time before building Free public APIs; optional GitHub token raises limits

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota
GitHub unauth: 60/hr; with token: 5k/hr. Others: public rate limits
Tokens per call
Quick: 500-1500; deep: 2-5k
Monetary
Free
Tip
Always start with quick mode; deep is expensive and rarely changes the verdict on saturated spaces

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: Optional GITHUB_TOKEN, PRODUCTHUNT_TOKEN in env
Data egress: api.github.com, news.ycombinator.com, registry.npmjs.org, pypi.org, api.producthunt.com, api.stackexchange.com
Never grant: repo write scopes

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Rate limited (GitHub 403)

Set GITHUB_TOKEN env var with a token (no scopes required)

Verify: curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' https://api.github.com/rate_limit
Deep mode returns empty Product Hunt

Requires PRODUCTHUNT_TOKEN — free to get at producthunt.com/v2/oauth

Score seems wildly off

Phrase the idea more specifically; 'AI app' matches everything and scores 0

Alternatives

idea-reality-mcp vs others

AlternativeWhen to use it insteadTradeoff
Manual Google + GitHub searchYou have 2 hours to spareSlower, less systematic
Exploding TopicsYou want trend data, not competitor listsPaid, no MCP

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills