Need Indicators

• Strong unmet needs - There exist specific problems or issues that people want addressed - the rational driver
• Positive future experience - There are latent or expressed desires for future experiences that are not need driven - the emotional drivers
• Resource intensive workarounds - The way people do things now (i.e. workarounds), if any, take a lot of time, cost, and / or effort
• Few or insufficient alternatives - There are few alternatives that exist and those that do don't address the entire opportunity
• Attracting attention - There is a lot of public, visible discussion and focus on the opportunity

Momentum Indicators

• Future potential - The opportunity focuses on an expanding and /or growing future need or desire
• Upside headroom - The opportunity has the potential for expansion once the initial need or desire is addressed
• Activity & energy - There are a lot of people doing things (discussing, developing, organizing etc.) related to the opportunity
• A lot of technology development - Technology related to the opportunity is being developed and released
• Developing communities of interest - Communities of interest are emerging which this opportunity addresses
  

Maturity Indicators

• New discoveries - New science is being created (the R in R&D) related to the opportunity
• New business formation - New businesses are emerging that address this or similar opportunities
• Leading media interest - The opportunity has attracted attention by the future oriented, savvy press (and 'blogosphere')
• Potential to scale - The opportunity has widespread and ubiquitous potential
• Multigenerational potential - The opportunity has the potential to be long-lasting and address the needs and desires of multiple generations
  

Access Indicators

• Relevant knowledge and expertise - Appropriate knowledge and expertise to address the opportunity exists in the world (not necessarily within the company)
• Barriers & alternatives - Alternatives and/or barriers to addressing the opportunity exist
• Addressable market - The future adressable market looks to be large
• Research done, science exists - The science is estabolished, no new discoveries or inventions are needed - it's 'just' engineering
• Realistic for an organization - The opportuity be addressed entirely within an organization itself and does not require a large 'ecosystem'
  

Economic Indicators

• Emerging market - The opportunity addresses an emerging market, one that may not be large now but shows signs of becoming big
• Plays into growth trends - Expressed growth trends support the future of the opportunity
• Early point on growth curve - The growth (point on the S curve) driving the opportunity is early
• A clear economic 'equation' exists - There exists a clear positive economic result if the opportunity is addressed
• Small capital investment - The amount of capital required to address the opportunity is relatively small
  

Strategic Indicators

• Outside expressed interest - Existing organizations have indicated that they are looking at or addressing the opportunity
• Expressed knowledge of need - Existing organizations or individuals have publicly stated their knowledge of the addressed need or desire
• New business model potential - The opportunity presents a rich area for the creation of new business models
• New platform potential - The opportunity has the potential for platform solutions that can result in multiple products and/or services
• Strategy positive - The opportunity has the potential to create new strategic alternatives and options (not necessarily for the company)