Prerequisites
- Browser tools for App Store browsing and research
- Web search for Reddit, Google Trends, and indie revenue research
- No API keys required — all research is done through browser and web search
Pipeline Overview
1. Define Category & Goals
2. App Store Charts Research
3. Community & Demand Research
4. Competitor Deep-Dive
5. Revenue Deep-Dive
6. Gap Analysis
7. Score & Rank
8. Top 3 Report
9. Quick Validation (optional)
10. MVP PRDStep 1: Define the Category & Goals
Ask the user what space they want to explore. Help them narrow down:
- Too broad: "Health apps" (thousands of competitors)
- Good: "Sleep + anxiety apps for consumers" (specific intersection)
- Good: "Habit tracking for fitness beginners" (audience + niche)
- Good: "AI-powered journaling apps" (tech angle + category)
Key questions to ask:
- What category or problem space interests you?
- Consumer or B2B? (Consumer is easier to validate quickly)
- Any budget constraints? (No-AI = cheaper to build, AI = higher ceiling)
- Target revenue? ($1K/mo side project vs $10K/mo business vs $50K+/mo full-time replacement)
- What's your timeline? (2-4 week MVP vs 2-3 month polished launch)
- Do you have domain expertise or personal pain in this area? (Strongest apps come from scratching your own itch)
Step 2: App Store Charts Research
Browse the iOS App Store charts to map the competitive landscape.
Chart URLs
Navigate to: https://apps.apple.com/us/charts/iphone/{category-slug}/{category-id}
Apps:
| Category | Path | | ------------------ | -------------------------------- | | Books | /books-apps/6018 | | Business | /business-apps/6000 | | Education | /education-apps/6017 | | Entertainment | /entertainment-apps/6016 | | Finance | /finance-apps/6015 | | Food & Drink | /food-drink-apps/6023 | | Graphics & Design | /graphics-design-apps/6027 | | Health & Fitness | /health-fitness-apps/6013 | | Lifestyle | /lifestyle-apps/6012 | | Medical | /medical-apps/6020 | | Music | /music-apps/6011 | | Navigation | /navigation-apps/6010 | | News | /news-apps/6009 | | Photo & Video | /photo-video-apps/6008 | | Productivity | /productivity-apps/6007 | | Reference | /reference-apps/6006 | | Shopping | /shopping-apps/6024 | | Social Networking | /social-networking-apps/6005 | | Sports | /sports-apps/6004 | | Travel | /travel-apps/6003 | | Utilities | /utilities-apps/6002 | | Weather | /weather-apps/6001 |
Games:
| Category | Path | | ------------ | --------------------------- | | Action | /action-games/7001 | | Adventure | /adventure-games/7002 | | Board | /board-games/7004 | | Card | /card-games/7005 | | Casino | /casino-games/7006 | | Puzzle | /puzzle-games/7012 | | Racing | /racing-games/7013 | | Role-Playing | /role-playing-games/7014 | | Simulation | /simulation-games/7016 | | Sports | /sports-games/7017 | | Strategy | /strategy-games/7018 | | Trivia | /trivia-games/7019 | | Word | /word-games/7020 |
International Charts
Check other countries for apps not yet available or localized for the US:
- UK:
apps.apple.com/gb/charts/iphone/... - Germany:
apps.apple.com/de/charts/iphone/... - Japan:
apps.apple.com/jp/charts/iphone/... - Australia:
apps.apple.com/au/charts/iphone/... - Canada:
apps.apple.com/ca/charts/iphone/... - South Korea:
apps.apple.com/kr/charts/iphone/... - Brazil:
apps.apple.com/br/charts/iphone/...
What to Document
Record the top 25-50 apps, noting:
- App name and chart position
- Rating count (proxy for install base — see [references/revenue-estimation.md](references/revenue-estimation.md))
- Star rating
- Price/monetization model (free, paid, subscription, freemium)
- Brief description
- Last updated date (visible on the app's detail page)
Pattern Recognition
| Rating Count | Signal | | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------- | | >100K | Saturated — dominated by big players | | 10K-100K | Established demand, strong competition | | 1K-10K | Sweet spot — proven demand, beatable | | 500-1K | Emerging niche — validate demand carefully | | <500 | Possible new/underserved niche OR no real demand |
Step 3: Community & Demand Research
Validate that real demand exists outside the App Store. See [references/research-sources.md](references/research-sources.md) for detailed search patterns and sources.
Reddit & Forum Research
Search Reddit for unmet demand signals in the category. Look for:
- "Is there an app that..." posts with no good answer
- Complaints about existing apps (pain points users will pay to escape)
- Feature requests with high upvotes
- "I switched from X to Y because..." (switching triggers)
- "I'd pay $X for..." (willingness-to-pay signals)
Google Trends Validation
Check Google Trends for the core problem keywords:
- Rising trend = growing demand, may not be saturated
- Declining trend = caution, avoid unless you have a unique angle
- Note seasonal patterns to time your launch (fitness peaks January, etc.)
Web → Mobile Gap Detection
Search for opportunities where demand exists but no quality iOS app serves it:
- Product Hunt: Recently launched web tools in the category without native iOS apps
- AlternativeTo: What users are looking for alternatives to (dissatisfaction signal)
- International apps: Successful apps in other countries without US presence
Indie Revenue Intelligence
Search IndieHackers and Twitter (#buildinpublic) for real revenue data from solo devs and small teams in the category. Real numbers beat estimates. See [references/research-sources.md](references/research-sources.md) for search patterns.
Step 4: Competitor Deep-Dive
For each promising niche area, deep-dive into 5-8 competitor apps.
Data to Collect Per App
| Field | How to Find | | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Name | App Store listing | | Ratings count | App Store listing | | Star rating | App Store listing | | Price / subscription | App Store listing | | Last updated | App Store listing — stale (6+ months) = vulnerable | | App size | App Store listing — bloated (200MB+) = simplifier play | | Developer | App Store listing — solo dev vs company? | | Dev replies to reviews | App Store reviews — silence = likely abandoned | | Trustpilot score | Search {app name} trustpilot | | Estimated revenue | See [references/revenue-estimation.md](references/revenue-estimation.md) | | Key features | Store description / screenshots | | Top complaints | 1-2 star reviews on App Store and Trustpilot | | Missing features | Compare across competitors | | Privacy labels | App Store