My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

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Extract business insights and trend signals from public company annual reports

Entrepreneurs, investors, and market researchers looking for early trend signals

1-2 hours per report, ongoing quarterly when reports release

What Success Looks Like

Finding 1-2 specific lines about fast-growing segments that spark viable business ideas

Steps to Execute

Go to annualreports.com and find target company reports

Skim for phrases like 'fastest growing,' 'emerging trend,' 'small but growing'

Cross-reference with traffic data using Similar Web plugin

Note specific customer segments and product categories mentioned

Identify stated company challenges and revenue concentration issues

Research shortcomings and gaps in their approach

Checklist

Company has millions of customers (scale validation)

Report mentions specific growing segments

Traffic data confirms significant user base

Clear shortcomings or challenges identified

Opportunity to solve problems differently

Inputs Needed

Public company annual/quarterly reports
Similar Web browser plugin for traffic data
Basic understanding of business model analysis

Outputs

Trend insights before they become mainstream
Market size validation
Competitive weakness identification
Customer segment insights

Example

“Reading 1800 Flowers report reveals succulents are fastest-growing among millennials, leading to discovery of plant subscription and artistic vase business opportunities”