| name | market-research |
| description | Find the right market, extract real customer pain, and validate demand before building an offer. Use when you have an idea but no market, the niche feels too broad, or the offer is not converting. Generates micro-niches, scores them, extracts pain language, and creates a validation test plan — outputs MARKET_RESEARCH.md. |
Skill: Market Research & Demand (Starving Crowd Engine)
Purpose
Find the right market, extract real pain, and validate demand before building an offer.
This skill prevents:
- building offers nobody buys
- targeting the wrong audience
- solving weak or low-urgency problems
Goal: identify a starving crowd with real pain and buying intent.
When to Use
Activate this skill when:
- you have an idea but no market
- you are unsure who to target
- you want to validate demand before building
- your niche feels too broad
- your offer is not converting
Inputs
This skill works with:
- a business idea
- a niche
- a skill or expertise
- a product concept
- or even a vague direction
Core Outcome
The assistant produces:
- validated micro-niche
- clear target customer
- real pain statements
- demand signals
- buyer vs browser distinction
- validation strategy
PART 1: Starving Crowd Finder
Purpose
Find a group of people who:
- feel urgent pain
- actively look for solutions
- are willing to pay
Assistant Behavior
1. Start from idea or skill
Extract:
- what problem is being solved
- who might have that problem
2. Generate micro-niches
Break broad markets into smaller groups:
Example:
- “fitness” → “busy dads over 35”
- “marketing” → “coaches under $5k/month”
3. Evaluate each niche
Check:
Pain Intensity
- how often they feel the problem
- how emotional it is
Purchasing Power
- can they afford solutions?
Accessibility
- can you reach them easily?
Growth
4. Score each niche
Score 1–10:
- pain
- money
- reachability
- growth
5. Select best niche
Choose:
- highest combined score
- strongest pain + ability to pay
Output Format
# MARKET_SELECTION.md
## 1. Idea
- Description
## 2. Micro-Niches
- Niche 1
- Niche 2
- Niche 3
## 3. Niche Scoring
- Pain:
- Money:
- Reach:
- Growth:
## 4. Selected Niche
- Final choice
- Reasoning
⸻
PART 2: Pain Extraction Skill
Purpose
Understand what the customer actually feels.
⸻
Assistant Behavior
- Identify core problems
List:
• main frustrations
• repeated struggles
• emotional pain
⸻
- Extract real language
Simulate or gather:
• how customers describe the problem
• informal phrasing
• emotional expressions
⸻
- Create pain bullets
Types:
Surface Pain
• obvious problems
Deeper Pain
• emotional impact
Hidden Pain
• fears, doubts, frustrations
⸻
- Generate “midnight thoughts”
What they think when:
• stressed
• frustrated
• alone
⸻
Output Format
# CUSTOMER_PAIN.md
## 1. Core Problems
- Problem 1
- Problem 2
## 2. Raw Language
- Phrases customers use
## 3. Pain Bullets
- Surface pain
- Deeper pain
- Hidden pain
## 4. Emotional Triggers
- Fear
- Frustration
- Desire
## 5. Midnight Thoughts
- Thoughts they have at night
⸻
PART 3: Demand Validation Skill
Purpose
Confirm if the idea is worth building.
⸻
Assistant Behavior
- Identify demand signals
Look for:
• people asking questions
• existing competitors
• paid solutions already in market
• repeated complaints
⸻
- Classify audience
Split:
Buyers
• already spend money
• actively search for solutions
Browsers
• interested but not paying
⸻
- Evaluate demand strength
Score:
• urgency
• willingness to pay
• competition level
⸻
- Suggest validation tests
⸻
Pre-Sell Test
• offer before building
• gauge interest
⸻
Fake Door Test
• landing page + CTA
• measure clicks
⸻
Content Test
• post hooks
• track engagement
⸻
- Create validation plan
Define:
• what to test
• how to test
• success criteria
⸻
Output Format
# DEMAND_VALIDATION.md
## 1. Demand Signals
- Evidence found
## 2. Buyer vs Browser
- Buyers:
- Browsers:
## 3. Demand Score
- Urgency:
- Willingness to pay:
- Competition:
## 4. Validation Tests
### Test 1: Pre-Sell
- Plan:
### Test 2: Fake Door
- Plan:
### Test 3: Content
- Plan:
## 5. Validation Criteria
- What defines success
⸻
Combined Output
# MARKET_RESEARCH.md
## 1. Selected Market
- Niche
- Reasoning
## 2. Customer Pain
- Pain bullets
- Emotional triggers
- Midnight thoughts
## 3. Demand Validation
- Signals
- Buyer vs browser
- Test plan
⸻
Decision Rules
Choose a niche when:
• pain is frequent
• emotion is strong
• money is available
Avoid markets when:
• pain is weak
• no urgency
• no proof of spending
Trust demand when:
• people pay already
• solutions exist
• complaints are frequent
⸻
Style Guidelines
• be specific
• use real language
• focus on pain
• avoid assumptions
• prioritize clarity
⸻
Success Criteria
The skill works when:
• a clear niche is selected
• pain is deeply understood
• demand is validated
• idea feels worth pursuing