opportunity-scout

# AI Opportunity Scout

Find what people need → evaluate if you can build it → decide if it's worth it.

## Quick Start

When the user specifies a niche (e.g. "AI agents", "crypto trading", "SaaS tools"):

1. Run the scout pipeline below
2. Score each finding with `scripts/scout.py`
3. Present the ranked report

## Scout Pipeline

### Step 1: Gather Data (use your built-in tools)

Run these searches, adapting queries to the user's niche:

**Twitter** (via exec):
```bash
bird search "[niche] need OR wish OR looking for OR frustrated" --limit 20
bird search "[niche] tool OR plugin OR solution" --limit 20
```

**Web** (via web_search tool):
- `"[niche] pain points 2026"`
- `"[niche] tools people want"`
- `"site:reddit.com [niche] need OR wish OR looking for"`
- `"site:producthunt.com [niche]"`

**ClawHub** (if niche is AI/agent related):
```bash
clawdhub search "[niche keyword]"
```

### Step 2: Identify Opportunities

From the raw data, extract distinct opportunities. Each opportunity = a specific unmet need that could become a product. Look for:

- Repeated complaints/requests (same problem mentioned 3+ times)
- Gaps between what exists and what people want
- Problems with existing solutions (too expensive, too complex, missing features)
- Emerging trends without established solutions

### Step 3: Score Each Opportunity

Run the scoring script:
```bash
python3 scripts/scout.py score --input opportunities.json --output report.md
```

Or score manually using these criteria (1-5 each):

| Criterion | 5 (Best) | 3 (Medium) | 1 (Worst) |
|-----------|----------|------------|-----------|
| **Demand** | 50+ people asking | 10-20 mentions | 1-2 mentions |
| **Competition** | No solutions exist | Some solutions, all flawed | Saturated market |
| **Feasibility** | Build MVP in 1-2 days | 1-2 weeks | Months of work |
| **Monetization** | People actively paying for similar | Freemium possible | Hard to charge |

**Total Score interpretation:**
- **16-20**: 🔥 BUILD IT NOW
- **12-15**: 👍 Strong opportunity, worth pursuing
- **8-11**: 🤔 Monitor, not urgent
- **4-7**: ❌ Skip

Detailed scoring examples: see `references/scoring-guide.md`

### Step 4: Generate Report

Format results as:

```
# Opportunity Scout: [Niche] — [Date]

## 🏆 Top 3 Opportunities

### 1. [Name] (Score: X/20)
- **Problem:** [What people need]
- **Evidence:** [Links/quotes from research]
- **Scores:** D:[X] C:[X] F:[X] M:[X]
- **Action:** [What to build, how long, how to monetize]

### 2. [Name] (Score: X/20)
...

## All Findings

| # | Opportunity | D | C | F | M | Total | Verdict |
|---|------------|---|---|---|---|-------|---------|
| 1 | ... | | | | | | |

## Recommendation
[Which to build first and why]
```

## Depth Modes

- `--depth quick`: 2 Twitter + 2 web searches. Fast scan, ~2 min.
- `--depth normal`: 4 Twitter + 4 web + ClawHub. Standard, ~5 min.
- `--depth deep`: 6 Twitter + 8 web + ClawHub + Reddit deep dive. Thorough, ~10 min.

## Tips

- Focus on problems people PAY to solve, not just complain about
- "I wish..." and "Does anyone know a tool for..." = strongest signals
- Check if existing solutions are abandoned/unmaintained — easy to replace
- Crypto/finance niches: high monetization but also high competition
- Niche down: "AI agent for dentists" beats "AI agent" every time