This approach has helped us pick winners for client projects and our own ventures, keeping risks low and insights high. It’s straightforward, cheap, and effective.
Here’s the exact process we follow. Feel free to use it for your next idea.
Step 1: Scope Out Acquire.com
We start by heading to Acquire.com (just google it). It’s a marketplace for buying and selling startups, and it’s a goldmine for finding real businesses making money. Most importantly: it's backed by data.
Step 2: Filter for Proven Earners
On Acquire.com, we filter for companies pulling in at least $100K a year in revenue. This shows us niches that are already profitable. We’re not here for untested hobby projects, we want proof of demand.
Step 3: Pick a Product
From the filtered list, we browse product ideas and pick one that resonates. It might be a SaaS tool, an ecommerce play, or a service. Something that matches our skills or interests. The key is it’s already working for someone else, so the niche isn’t a shot in the dark.
Step 4: Dig into Testimonials and Reviews
Next, we check the company’s testimonials and reviews. Acquire.com listings often mention similar sites. Look up reviews for these products and look for what customers love, what they hate, and where the gaps are.
Step 5: Build It Better
Once we’ve got a validated niche and customer insights, we build the product, but better. We add features the original lacks, fix pain points from reviews, and tailor it to outshine the competition. Our dev team uses this intel to hit the ground running.
This method keeps costs near zero. It’s not glamorous but it’s practical and gets results.