Every site idea is evaluated against these criteria to determine if it fits the "missing middle" opportunity. An idea doesn't need to score perfectly on every criterion, but it should be strong across most of them.
The sweet spot. Too small and it's not worth the effort. Too large and venture capital will chase it with massive resources. The missing middle is where we can compete.
A clearly identifiable community with specific needs. Not a general audience, but a well-defined group we can understand and serve.
There's a real information or data gap that needs to be filled. The community needs information, insights, or connections that don't currently exist in a useful form.
We understand the users and their needs because we're part of the community or have deep experience with their problems. This isn't about building for strangers.
Can be built without a massive tech team. Modern tools make it possible to build sophisticated websites with small teams or even solo.
If an idea scores well on most criteria, we move forward. If it's weak on multiple fronts, we pass. The goal is to find opportunities where we have advantages: understanding the users, seeing the data gap, and being able to execute with limited resources.