Article · ~15 min read

Spotting trends: the tricks used by trend catchers

Marie Dollé · In Bed With Tech (Substack) Free Intermediate

This one is useful because it is not one person's theory: it collects how seven working trend forecasters actually run their week. You get concrete inputs to build a routine around (job boards, crowdfunding pages, patent filings, fringe communities) plus the idea of a tagged "databank" to file signals into, which pairs directly with a note tool. Read it as a menu of habits to borrow from, not a rigid checklist.

• Watch leading-edge sources on a regular cadence: Kickstarter/Indiegogo, job boards, patent filings, and beta programs show shifts before the mainstream does.
• Deliberately follow fringe communities and younger subcultures to break out of your own filter bubble.
• Keep a tagged "databank" of signals so isolated observations accumulate into visible patterns over time.