The Startup Ideas Podcast
The best businesses are built at the intersection of emerging technology, community, and real human needs.
Review Volume & Velocity as Market Demand Signal
Use the quantity and frequency of Google Maps reviews as a proxy for market demand strength, where high volume + high velocity indicates healthy demand regardless of review sentiment
Decision Rule
Enter markets with hundreds of reviews monthly across multiple providers, even if average satisfaction is moderate, as this indicates strong customer demand and potential for service differentiation
How It Works
Reviews correlate with transaction volume, and review velocity indicates consistent ongoing demand rather than one-time events, providing more reliable market signal than traditional market research
Failure Modes
Seasonal businesses may show artificially low velocity during off-seasons
Very new niches may lack historical review data
Some high-value services generate few reviews due to privacy concerns
Review velocity can be gamed by businesses encouraging reviews
Example Decision
“Choose garage organization services in Denver over pool cleaning in Phoenix because garage services show 300+ reviews monthly with consistent growth, while pool cleaning shows seasonal spikes but low winter activity”