How the Opportunity Score™ works

The score is an analytical framework for comparing opportunities on consistent terms. It is not a prediction, a probability of success, or a scientific measurement. Two opportunities scoring 88 are comparably attractive on our criteria — not equally likely to work for you.

The ten dimensions

Total: 100 points. Four dimensions — startup economics, revenue potential, profitability, and recurring revenue — are calculated by the scoring engine from the record's own cost, margin, and scenario inputs using published bands, so changing an input changes the score. The other six are rubric judgements made by a researcher, because nothing in the record can compute them honestly. Every dimension on an opportunity page shows which method produced it and the exact basis.

Demand

15 pts

Search demand, customer intent, and trend strength.

Researcher judgement against a published rubric

Competition

15 pts

Digital and local competition, saturation, barriers to entry.

Researcher judgement against a published rubric

Startup Economics

10 pts

Initial investment and required infrastructure.

Calculated from the record's own inputs

Revenue Potential

15 pts

Reasonable revenue based on pricing and customer volume.

Calculated from the record's own inputs

Profitability

10 pts

Gross margin and operating economics.

Calculated from the record's own inputs

Recurring Revenue

10 pts

Contracts, memberships, repeat service, maintenance.

Calculated from the record's own inputs

Scalability

10 pts

Geography, hiring, automation, productization.

Researcher judgement against a published rubric

Customer Acquisition

5 pts

Availability of practical acquisition channels.

Researcher judgement against a published rubric

AI Advantage

5 pts

Where AI reduces labor or improves delivery.

Researcher judgement against a published rubric

Complexity / Risk

5 pts

Regulation, liability, seasonality, capital needs.

Researcher judgement against a published rubric

Data labels

Every research-driven claim carries one of these labels. We never present an estimate as a fact.

Verified Data

Sourced from a published dataset or a directly checkable source, and cross-checked.

Estimated

Derived from a model or from comparable markets. Directionally useful, not precise.

Calculated

Arithmetic from assumptions you or we entered. Change the inputs and the number changes.

Market Observation

A qualitative pattern we saw while researching the market, stated as such.

The publication quality standard

12 opportunities are published today. We would rather ship a hundred excellent profiles than a thousand generic ones, so an opportunity is only published when it answers all sixteen questions below. Where evidence is weak, the profile says so and its data confidence is marked Developing.

  1. 1. What is it?
  2. 2. Why does it matter?
  3. 3. Who buys it?
  4. 4. Is there demand?
  5. 5. How competitive is it?
  6. 6. How much does it cost to start?
  7. 7. How does it make money?
  8. 8. What can customers realistically pay?
  9. 9. How do you acquire customers?
  10. 10. Can it generate recurring revenue?
  11. 11. Can it be operated remotely?
  12. 12. Can it be scaled?
  13. 13. Can AI help?
  14. 14. What can go wrong?
  15. 15. Who should avoid it?
  16. 16. What should the entrepreneur do first?

What we will not do

  • Guarantee income, ranking, or business success.
  • Present a model estimate as verified data.
  • Fabricate local market statistics for a city we have not researched.
  • Pad the database with shallow entries to increase the opportunity count.
  • Use countdown timers, fake scarcity, or manufactured urgency in pricing.

Revenue scenarios throughout the platform are illustrative examples built from stated assumptions. Market conditions, search demand, competition, and regulation change over time. Local licensing, insurance, and code requirements vary by jurisdiction. Conduct your own due diligence before investing money or time.

Explore the research database →