8.8 KiB
Trend Insights Platform - BMAD Expansion Pack
Discover what people actually want by analyzing digital footprints across the web
Overview
The Trend Insights Platform expansion pack equips you with the "Internet Pipes" methodology for discovering emerging trends before they hit mainstream awareness. By analyzing billions of digital breadcrumbs (searches, social media, purchases), you can identify opportunities that traditional market research misses.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Traditional market research methods have major flaws:
- Focus groups: People lie about their preferences
- Surveys: Response bias and limited sample size
- Intuition: Often wrong, based on personal experience not data
The Internet Pipes methodology taps into revealed preferences - what people actually search for, buy, and discuss when nobody's watching.
What's Included
🤖 Agent
Trend Analyst - Your expert in discovering and analyzing internet trends
- Discovers trending topics across categories
- Analyzes search volume, social signals, and market data
- Identifies patterns and opportunities
- Validates trends vs. fads
- Provides strategic recommendations
📋 Tasks
- discover-trends.md - Discover current trending topics in any category
- analyze-single-trend.md - Deep-dive analysis of specific trends
- generate-trend-report.md - Comprehensive multi-trend reports
- compare-trends.md - Side-by-side trend comparisons
- forecast-trend.md - Project future trend trajectories
- explore-niches.md - Find underserved niche opportunities
📄 Templates
- trend-report-tmpl.yaml - Comprehensive trend insights report structure
- trend-analysis-tmpl.yaml - Single trend deep-dive template
- niche-opportunity-tmpl.yaml - Niche opportunity analysis template
📚 Data Resources
- internet-pipes-framework.md - Complete methodology guide
- trend-data-sources.md - Catalog of data sources for trend discovery
- trend-validation-checklist.md - Systematic validation process
- trend-categories.md - Trend categories and subcategories reference
Example Use Cases
For Entrepreneurs
- Discover product opportunities before competitors
- Validate business ideas with real-time data
- Identify underserved market segments
- Time market entry for optimal positioning
For Content Creators
- Find trending topics to create content about
- Discover search-driven content opportunities
- Identify gaps in existing content
- Build audience around emerging interests
For Investors
- Spot emerging markets and categories
- Validate investment theses with data
- Identify companies riding strong trends
- Time investment entry and exit
For Product Managers
- Discover user needs through search behavior
- Validate feature ideas with trend data
- Identify market opportunities
- Stay ahead of competitive moves
Example Trends Discovered
- Glowing Sunscreen 📈 - UV-reactive sunscreen for visual application feedback
- Butterfly Pea Tea 📈 - Color-changing tea with health benefits
- Air Quality Monitors 📈 - Personal environmental health tracking
- Permanent Jewelry 📈 - Welded chains and bracelets without clasps
- Berberine 📈 - Natural supplement dubbed "nature's Ozempic"
- Sleepy Girl Mocktail 📈 - Magnesium + tart cherry sleep drink
- Dopamine Decor 📈 - Bright, joyful maximalist interior design
Getting Started
Option 1: Use the Trend Analyst Agent
Activate the Trend Analyst agent and start with a slash command:
/discover-trends
The agent will guide you through discovering trends in your chosen category.
Option 2: Run Specific Tasks
Run individual tasks for focused analysis:
/analyze-trend [trend-name]
/trend-report [category]
/compare-trends [trend-1] [trend-2]
Option 3: Study the Framework
Read the internet-pipes-framework.md to understand the methodology, then apply it manually using web search tools.
The Internet Pipes Methodology
The framework consists of 5 pillars:
- Signal Detection - Monitor multiple sources for emerging patterns
- Pattern Recognition - Identify trend clusters and relationships
- Context Analysis - Understand the "why" behind trends
- Opportunity Mapping - Connect trends to business opportunities
- Validation - Cross-reference across multiple data sources
Key Features
Multi-Source Validation
Cross-reference signals across:
- Search engines (Google Trends)
- Social media (TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter)
- E-commerce (Amazon, Etsy)
- Content platforms (YouTube, Medium)
- News and media
Fad vs. Trend Assessment
Distinguish between viral moments and sustainable trends using:
- Sustained interest over time
- Multiple independent drivers
- Cross-platform validation
- Commercial viability
- Underlying need fulfillment
Opportunity Scoring
Evaluate trends across dimensions:
- Market size and growth
- Competition intensity
- Barriers to entry
- Timing in lifecycle
- Macro trend alignment
Niche Discovery
Find underserved segments by exploring:
- Demographic niches
- Use-case niches
- Value proposition niches
- Format/delivery niches
- Intersection opportunities
Data Sources
The expansion pack teaches you to leverage:
Free Sources:
- Google Trends
- Social media platforms
- Reddit communities
- Amazon Best Sellers
- YouTube analytics
- News & media
Paid Tools (Optional):
- SEMrush/Ahrefs
- Exploding Topics
- Social listening tools
Best Practices
- Always cross-validate - Use 3+ independent sources
- Think temporally - Track trends over time, not snapshots
- Understand context - Know WHY something is trending
- Validate commercially - Ensure willingness to pay
- Assess sustainability - Distinguish fads from lasting trends
- Document findings - Keep a trend tracking system
- Act on insights - Information without action is wasted
Installation
This expansion pack is already installed in your BMAD environment. Simply:
- Activate the Trend Analyst agent
- Use the available slash commands
- Or study the framework and apply manually
Example Workflow
Scenario: You want to start a business in the wellness space
- Discover - Use
/discover-trendsin the "wellness" category - Analyze - Deep-dive promising trends with
/analyze-trend - Compare - Evaluate top opportunities with
/compare-trends - Niche - Find your unique angle with
/niche-explorer - Forecast - Understand timing with
/trend-forecast - Validate - Use the validation checklist to confirm
- Act - Build your business with confidence
Statistics That Make This Possible
Every minute on the internet:
- 6 million Google searches
- 300,000 tweets
- 4 million Facebook likes
- $450,000 spent on Amazon
This creates an unprecedented opportunity to discover what people actually want by observing their authentic digital behavior.
Success Stories
The Internet Pipes methodology has been used to discover:
- Early signals of plant-based meat before it went mainstream
- Emerging supplement trends like Ashwagandha and Lion's Mane
- The permanent jewelry trend before oversaturation
- Air fryer adoption trajectory for timing product launches
- Cold plunge trend for complementary product opportunities
Limitations
This methodology is powerful but not magic:
- Requires consistent monitoring (trends evolve)
- Can't predict black swan events
- Limited to observable online behavior
- Early-stage trends have less data
- Some trends are regional or demographic-specific
Future Enhancements
Potential additions to this expansion pack:
- Automated trend monitoring dashboards
- API integrations for real-time data
- Collaborative trend tracking
- Industry-specific trend templates
- Predictive trend modeling
Support & Resources
- Framework: Read
data/internet-pipes-framework.md - Data Sources: Review
data/trend-data-sources.md - Validation: Use
data/trend-validation-checklist.md - Categories: Browse
data/trend-categories.md
Contributing
Found a trend worth sharing? Discovered a new data source? Have suggestions for improving the methodology? Contribute back to the BMAD community!
Philosophy
"The best opportunities are often hiding in plain sight. Most people scroll past signals every day. You're now equipped to see them."
The internet is broadcasting billions of signals about what people want. This expansion pack teaches you to tune into these "Internet Pipes" and extract actionable insights.
Remember
Every search, every social post, every purchase is a clue. The question is: Are you listening?
Now go discover the next big thing. 🚀
Version: 1.0.0 Compatibility: BMAD v4+ License: Part of BMAD-METHOD Maintained by: BMAD Community