Tool 03 · Chapter 3

Niche scoring matrix.

Chapter 3's verdict mechanism: eight criteria, weighted, each scored 1–5 from public evidence — not enthusiasm. The book's threshold: a niche needs 3.8 weighted to justify proceeding to product research.

Score each criterion 1–5

Demand trend Google Trends + volume: stable or gently rising over 5 years · weight 15%

Marketplace velocity Review/order accumulation rate on Amazon, AliExpress, Etsy · weight 15%

Creative pressure Profitable advertisers exist — but with visible mediocrity · weight 15%

Community temperature Identity-level communities that spend on the hobby · weight 10%

Repeat purchase potential Consumables, refills, supplies — or one-and-done? · weight 15%

Ecosystem shape Products that attach to each other, not just to the user · weight 10%

Price band fit Products plausibly retail $30–80 · weight 10%

Refusal-list distance Regulatory / liability / IP cleanliness · weight 10%

WEIGHTED SCOREOF 5.00

Niche score3.00

Calibration from the book's worked examples: leopard-gecko husbandry scored 4.20 (proceed), cold-plunge accessories 3.85 (viable but late), phone accessories 2.30 (refuse — demand isn't the problem; structure is).

From the book: Chapter 3 shows where each score comes from — the hour of public-data reading behind criteria 1–3, the community-reading method behind 4, and the five niche categories to refuse regardless of score.

From the Book

Chapter 3 teaches you where the scores come from.

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