Tool

Exploding Topics

Exploding Topics Freemium Beginner

This is the most practical way to see search and interest trends climbing before they hit newsletters and everyone's timeline. It scans search, social, forums, news, and e-commerce, then surfaces topics that are growing steadily rather than one-off viral spikes, which is exactly the earlier signal you are missing. Start on the free tier to browse trends and validate a hunch before you commit to anything.

  • It surfaces topics that are on a steady growth curve and filters out one-hit viral spikes, so you see durable trends earlier instead of chasing noise.
  • The free tier lets you browse and search trends and run basic keyword and SEO checks, paid plans add growth forecasts and earlier access.
  • Use it to confirm or kill a hunch: if a niche you noticed is already showing a clean upward curve here, you are early, if the chart is flat or fading, you have your answer.
Open on explodingtopics.com ↗

It answers 6 questions

  1. How do I spot trends early enough to build a startup on them?
  2. How do I come up with startup ideas that aren't just 'Uber for X'?
  3. Where do I look to find emerging opportunities before they're obvious?
  4. I keep spotting good trends too late, after they're already crowded. How do I get earlier signal?
  5. How do I catch a rising trend early when I'm building outside the big startup hubs and not in the room where these conversations happen?
  6. How do I build a habit or system for spotting trends instead of relying on random luck?

Read with it

  1. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  2. Video · ~25 min How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas Jared Friedman
  3. Entering an unfamiliar industry means you cannot see the walls and dead ends that veterans already know. Dixon explains that a... cdixon.org Essay · short read The Idea Maze Chris Dixon
  4. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  5. The definitive short read on why disruptive ideas get dismissed as toys, and why that dismissal is your opening. It reframes... cdixon.org Article · ~5 min read The Next Big Thing Will Start Out Looking Like a Toy Chris Dixon
  6. Run by the managing partners of Prime Venture Partners (Sanjay Swamy, Amit Somani, Shripati Acharya and others), this is a... Prime Venture Partners Podcast Prime Venture Partners Podcast Prime Venture Partners
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →