Gap finder
Find a gap worth solving.
Pick a problem area, answer three quick questions and get your first three steps. It runs in your browser. Nothing is sent and nothing is saved.
Your first three steps
Here is where to start
- Look.
- Talk.
- Test.
What your answers tell you
These are the first three of five steps. The guide takes you the rest of the way, to your first customer.
First steps for every area
Waste
- Look. Walk your street or building at the end of the day. Note where waste piles up and what gets thrown away.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: what is the hardest part of dealing with waste, and what do you do about it today?
- Test. Pick one small fix, such as a clearer bin, a pickup slot or a sorting trick. Try it with three of them for a week.
Water
- Look. Follow water from tap to drain in one place. Note where it is short, dirty, wasted or hard to reach.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: when does water cause you trouble, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Choose one small fix, such as a repair, a reminder or a shared tank. Try it in one place for a week and note what changes.
Jobs
- Look. Find places where people want work and work wants people. Note who is left out, and why.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: what makes finding or keeping work hard, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Match two people to two small tasks by hand, with no website. See whether both sides show up and come back.
Health
- Look. Spend a day in a clinic, a pharmacy or a neighbour's home. Note where people wait, worry or skip care.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: when is looking after your health hardest, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Make one tiny aid, such as a reminder, a simple checklist or a clearer route to help. Give it to three of them and watch if it is used.
Food
- Look. Follow one meal back a step at a time, from plate to shop to farm. Note where food is lost, costly or hard to find.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: what is hard about getting good food, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Try one small fix, such as a shared order, a storage trick or a swap. Run it with three of them for a week.
Learning
- Look. Sit in on a class, a tutoring session or a study group. Note where people get stuck, bored or left behind.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: what makes learning hard for you, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Teach one stuck idea in one simple way, such as a drawing, a game or a short walkthrough. See whether three of them get it.
Mobility
- Look. Make one trip the way others do it: bus, auto, bike or on foot. Note where it is slow, unsafe or hard to plan.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: what is the hardest part of getting around, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Try one small fix, such as a shared ride, a clearer map or a better timing. Use it with three of them for a week.
Energy
- Look. Look at where power or fuel is wasted, costly or cuts out, at home, in a shop or on a street. Note what it costs people.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: when does power or fuel cause you trouble, and what do you do about it?
- Test. Try one small saver or backup in one place for a week. Compare before and after, and ask what they noticed.
Community
- Look. Spend an hour where people gather: a market, a lane, a playground. Note what they wish were different.
- Talk. Ask ten people who feel it: what would make life here better, and what do you do about it today?
- Test. Start one tiny shared thing, such as a clean-up, a notice board or a swap. See whether people join without being asked.
Then what?
Finding a gap is step one of five. The guide shows the rest, from your first ten conversations to your first customer.