Free market research: the one-hour method

You need neither a research agency nor a 50-page report to know whether a market holds up. The data that matters is free and public — you just have to know where to look and what to take from it. Here is a one-hour method, timer running.

Market research ≠ a big report

For an indie project or a micro-SaaS, the goal is not exhaustiveness, it is the decision: go, refine or drop. Useful research answers four simple questions — how much demand there is, which way it is moving, who already holds the ground, and whether people are spending money.

The 5 free sources for market research

• Google Autocomplete — type your topic and read the suggestions: these are real searches, ranked by popularity. The best thermometer for demand.
• Google Trends — the 12-month trajectory and the “breakout” related queries. You want stable or rising, not declining.
• Forums & communities — the life of the community: recurring questions, complaints, “I'm looking for a tool that…”. Gold for spotting pain.
• YouTube — the volume and view counts of existing content show the appetite for learning and the level of saturation.
• Marketplaces & reviews (Etsy, Gumroad, app stores) — what already sells proves purchase intent; 1–2 star reviews reveal the gaps left to fill.

The one-hour market research method

1. 10 min — Autocomplete: note 20–30 real searches around your topic.
2. 10 min — Trends: check the 12-month curve + rising queries.
3. 15 min — Forums & communities: spot 3–5 recurring pains and the vocabulary people use.
4. 10 min — YouTube/marketplaces: gauge the competition and what sells.
5. 15 min — Synthesis: purchase intent (how many “price/buy/best” searches), and verdict.

Turning market research into ONE decision

Group your observations on four axes and settle it:

• Demand: rich / decent / anaemic.
• Trend: rising / stable / declining.
• Competition: healthy / locked.
• Monetisation: people already pay / mostly free.

Three green lights or more → go. Two → refine the angle. One or zero → move on to the next idea.

Example: analysing an invoice-chasing tool for freelancers

Say you have a micro-SaaS that automatically chases freelancers' unpaid invoices. In Autocomplete you note “unpaid invoice reminder”, “invoice reminder template” and “client chasing software”. Trends then serves to check that the need does not depend on a passing fad. On freelancer forums, you collect the exact words used: awkwardness about chasing, wasted time, fear of damaging the client relationship. Finally, the pricing of existing software proves a budget already exists.

The conclusion is not yet “build the product”. It is more precise: the problem is real and monetised, but you need to test whether independents want a standalone tool or a feature built into their invoicing software. That uncertainty becomes the next experiment.

A simple, verifiable scoring grid

Give 0 to 2 points on each axis, keeping the links or screenshots that justify the score:

• Demand: 0 with no observable queries, 1 with a few phrasings, 2 with a rich long tail.
• Momentum: 0 clearly declining, 1 stable, 2 growing across several periods.
• Pain: 0 if the topic is purely informational, 1 if the problem is annoying, 2 if it costs time or money.
• Purchase: 0 with no paid offer, 1 with indirect purchases, 2 with several active paid solutions.
• Access: 0 if the audience is unreachable, 1 through paid platforms, 2 through accessible communities.

A high total does not guarantee success; it says the idea deserves a test. Note the contradictory evidence too. Looking only for what confirms your hunch turns market research into a plea, not a decision tool.

The deliverable to keep after your hour of research

Finish with one page containing: the target segment, three problems phrased in the audience's own words, five commercial queries, three existing alternatives, an observed price range and the biggest remaining uncertainty. Add a dated decision and a review condition, for instance “continue if 10 interviews confirm that chasing invoices takes more than an hour a month”. That short document will be far more useful than a generic file nobody can keep up to date.

The shortcut: automated market research

Doing this round by hand teaches you a lot, but it gets repetitive once you are testing several ideas. Sondari queries those same sources live and hands you the synthesis — demand, trend, competition and purchase intent — in 30 seconds, with a clear verdict.

Then turn the analysis into action: learn how to test the idea with a landing page and then to launch an MVP fast.