01
what I mean by a supply gap
I notice a supply gap when people already want a result and the available way to get it keeps failing them.
They wait, pay more than they want, ask the same few names, accept work they complain about, or build the same workaround for themselves. The demand is visible in what they are already doing.
A gap can come from volume, speed, quality, trust, language, geography, or fit. I want to know which one is actually blocking the person.
02
an empty space can mean nothing
No competition can look attractive. Sometimes nobody offers the thing because nobody cares enough to look for it.
The stronger signal is movement around the empty space. People are booking months ahead, hiring assistants to perform the work manually, holding a process together with spreadsheets, or switching between providers without solving the problem.
Absence alone tells me little. The workaround tells me what the person refuses to wait for.
03
credible supply
A shortage can exist even when many providers appear available. What matters is whether the buyer considers them credible for the job.
A provider may lack the language, experience, location, speed, or proof a particular group needs. Ten people may sell the service while the same two trusted names receive every introduction.
The useful question is why those alternatives are being ignored. The answer may reveal a real shortage. It may also reveal that the buyer's expectations are impossible.
04
what I look for
I look for waiting, switching, premiums, repeated requests, ugly workarounds, and the same trusted people being asked again.
Then I look for the constraint. Is there too little capacity? Is the quality inconsistent? Does the buyer need somebody who understands a specific world? Is the job too small for existing providers and too important to ignore?
If I can name the shortage clearly, I can test whether I have anything credible to add. Costly movement tells me how much effort people are already spending around it.