The Four Gates
The Dominik Filter is a ruthlessly efficient validation protocol consisting of four sequential tests that expose fatal flaws in business ideas before resources are committed.
The Questions
- Echt oder Fake? (Real or Fake?)
“Hast Du es selbst schon erfolgreich ausprobiert?”
→ Eliminates untested theories and borrowed credibility - Legal, halblegal, oder illegal?
→ Identifies regulatory risk and ethical boundaries - Nachhaltig oder nicht?
→ Tests long-term viability vs. short-term exploitation - Würdest Du es selbst machen? (Would you do it yourself?)
→ The ultimate skin-in-the-game test
Real-World Application
YouTube Guru Test:
Dominik to Simon: “Wirklich gute Geschäftsideen setzt man selber um. Sonst ist es nichts anderes als heiße Luft oder es ist was faul an der Sache!”
Translation: If the method actually works, why are you selling courses instead of using it yourself? The filter caught the contradiction instantly.
Why It Works
Each question eliminates a category of bullshit:
- Gate 1: Removes theoretical nonsense
- Gate 2: Removes legal landmines
- Gate 3: Removes pump-and-dump schemes
- Gate 4: Removes everything the proposer doesn’t truly believe in
The Brutal Efficiency
Most due diligence takes weeks. The Dominik Filter delivers clarity in one conversation:
- Pass all 4 gates → Proceed with confidence
- Fail any gate → Abandon or redesign immediately
Implementation
Before committing to any opportunity, run it through The Dominik Filter. If you can’t answer all four questions with absolute confidence, you don’t have a validated opportunity—you have a hypothesis that needs testing.
The filter doesn’t just detect bad ideas—it forces you to confront truth before ego and excitement cloud judgment.