Follow this sequence to produce a confident shortlist fast.
Seed → Expand → Evaluate → Refine → Validate → Commit / Discard
| Step |
Action |
Why It Matters |
Time |
| 1 |
Open Dashboard |
Loads scoring engine context |
0:30 |
| 2 |
Enter 1–2 seed themes (broad) |
Seeds semantic expansion |
1:00 |
| 3 |
Sort by Opportunity Score |
Surfaces high-signal candidates |
0:30 |
| 4 |
Open top 3–5 candidates |
Compare score shape + monetization |
2:00 |
| 5 |
Refine angle (audience / use case) |
Improve differentiation |
2:00 |
| 6 |
Bookmark 1–2 contenders |
Freeze context for validation |
0:30 |
| 7 |
Run Validation Checklist |
Kill weak / confirm winners |
2:00 |
| 8 |
Commit or pivot |
Focus or iterate; avoid over-analysis |
1:00 |
| Weak Seed |
Problem |
Improved Variant |
| “fitness” |
Too broad |
“postpartum strength recovery” |
| “ai tools” |
Saturated generic |
“ai workflow automation for Etsy sellers” |
| “home office” |
Commodity space |
“acoustic micro-work pods for remote calls” |
Pattern: Add a qualifier (audience, pain, context, transformation).
| Signal Cluster |
Question |
Action if Weak |
| Demand vs Competition |
Is demand advantage > competition drag? |
Refine angle or abandon |
| Monetization Breadth |
≥2 viable models? |
Brainstorm add-on vector or pivot |
| Momentum Stability |
Sustainable vs spike? |
Wait & monitor or downgrade |
| SERP Composition |
Authority lock-in? |
Slice narrower or switch path |
| Goal |
Lever |
Example |
| Differentiate |
Audience slice |
“for fractional CFOs” |
| Raise Monetization |
Add services layer |
From tools → advisory + implementation |
| Reduce Competition |
Narrow use case |
“asynchronous design critique boards” |
| Boost Demand |
Adjacent intent merge |
Combine 2 micro pains into one angle |
Criteria (hit ≥4):
- Demand 60–75 (or rising into band)
- Competition <55
- Monetization >=2 strong vectors
- No volatility spike cliff
- Clear problem articulation in 1 sentence
If unsure, park it—do not endlessly tweak seeds.
| Situation |
Bookmark? |
Reason |
| High potential, minor weakness |
Yes |
Track for refinement iteration |
| All metrics mid but stable |
Maybe |
Watch for momentum uplift |
| Single-channel monetization only |
No (yet) |
Too fragile |
| Hype spike + weak baseline |
No |
Collapse risk |
| Issue |
Symptom |
Fix |
| Repetitive bland ideas |
Generic outputs |
Sharpen seed specificity |
| All high competition |
Red ocean results |
Add audience constraint |
| Low monetization breadth |
Single vector flagged |
Reframe around outcome w/ purchasable value |
| Stalled iteration |
Paralysis |
Enforce 10‑minute limit then move to validation |
- Learn deeper scoring: Key Concepts
- Run full Opportunity Validation
- Set up monitoring: Workflow Automation