What is Pain Point Scoring? (And Why It Matters for Founders)

Not all problems are worth solving. Pain Point Scoring helps you prioritize ideas that have the highest chance of success.

What is a Pain Score?

A Pain Score is a numerical rating (0-100) that measures how severe and actionable a problem is. Higher scores mean the problem is more painful and more likely to convert to paying customers.

The Four Factors

We calculate Pain Scores based on four key factors:

1. Frequency (How often does this happen?)

• Daily pain = Higher score
• Weekly pain = Medium score
• Rare occurrence = Lower score

2. Urgency (Are they actively looking for solutions?)

Posts with phrases like "need ASAP" or "looking for recommendations" indicate high urgency.

3. Willingness to Pay (Would they pay to fix it?)

Look for mentions of budget, comparing prices, or frustration with expensive alternatives.

4. Frustration Level (How emotional is the complaint?)

Strong language, multiple exclamation marks, and detailed rants indicate high frustration.

How PainFinder Uses This

Every pain point in PainFinder comes with a Pain Score calculated using these factors. We analyze the original complaint, community reactions, and context to give you a reliable signal.

Sort by Pain Score to find the problems most worth solving.