About the Project
What is BTWV?
Before They Went Viral is an early signal intelligence platform — we find content, products, and trends that are about to explode before the mainstream catches on. Every signal gets a full article explaining why we think it will go viral, what the data shows, and who should be paying attention.
The internet moves fast. By the time something trends on Twitter, hits the front page of Reddit, or gets covered by major media — you're already late. The real money and influence is in seeing what's about to break before it breaks.
BTWV exists to give you that edge. We monitor the early signals — the Reddit posts with unusual velocity, the Product Hunt launches gaining traction, the X threads that are quietly accumulating engagement, the YouTube videos trending in niche categories before they go mainstream.
Our Method
We track five primary sources across the internet, looking for the earliest indicators of viral momentum. Our approach combines quantitative signals (engagement velocity, upvote patterns, share curves) with qualitative analysis (community context, creator history, topic relevance).
Velocity Monitoring
We track how fast content is gaining engagement — not just total numbers, but the rate of change. Something going from 100 to 10,000 views in 2 hours is more interesting than something sitting at 50,000 views for a week.
Community Spread
Is the same content appearing across multiple communities? Reddit posts that break out of their home subreddit, Twitter threads getting shared outside the creator's follower base — that's a signal something is resonating broadly.
Signal Scoring
Every signal gets a score from 0-100 based on engagement velocity, community growth rate, and qualitative indicators. Scores above 80 are "exploding" — past the early adopter phase. Scores 60-80 are "hot" and building. Scores 31-60 are "warming."
Where We Look
We monitor patterns across the internet — tracking engagement velocity, breakout communities, unusual engagement spikes, and qualitative cues that something is gaining traction before it tips into mainstream awareness. We look at:
- Reddit — posts gaining traction in niche subreddits before hitting r/all, community-specific viral moments
- Product Hunt — tools and products with unusual early velocity, launches that break the typical adoption curve
- X/Twitter — threads, accounts, and posts generating disproportionate engagement relative to follower count
- YouTube — videos trending in specific categories before going mainstream, channels with breakout subscriber growth
- News & Newsletters — emerging stories before they become headlines, trendlines in niche publications
Signal Score Guide
Every signal on BTWV is scored 0-100 based on how hot it is right now:
- 80-100 — Exploding: Already past the early adopter phase. Mainstream media is picking it up. This is the peak of the opportunity window.
- 60-79 — Hot: Building fast with strong momentum. Early mainstream attention starting. High but not peak opportunity.
- 31-59 — Warming: Early velocity detected. Community-level buzz. Opportunity window is wide open.
- 0-30 — Cold: Worth monitoring but no clear momentum signal yet. Could go either way.
Who Should Use BTWV
BTWV is built for people who want to be early:
- Content creators who want to ride trending topics before they become oversaturated
- Startup founders tracking emerging tools and technologies that could disrupt their market
- Investors and analysts looking for early indicators of consumer and technology trends
- Marketers and growth hackers who want to get in on viral moments at the earliest possible stage
- Curious people who just want to be the one who "saw it coming"
The Team
We're a small team of data-obsessed people who got tired of missing the early signals. We've spent years watching the internet's attention economy and built BTWV to solve our own problem: how do you consistently find the next big thing before it becomes the next big thing?
We believe the internet rewards the early — and we want to help you get there first.
How We Make Money
BTWV is free to use. We keep the lights on with carefully placed, relevant Google advertisements. We keep ads minimal and unobtrusive — you'll never see pop-ups, auto-playing videos, or the kind of aggressive ad placement that ruins a browsing experience. The goal is to keep BTWV free while making it sustainable.
FAQ
How often do you update?
Daily. We add new signals and update existing scores every day as we find them across Reddit, X, Product Hunt, YouTube, and the broader internet.
Can I submit a signal?
Yes! If you spot something that you think is about to go viral, use the contact form to send it our way. Include the source link and why you think it's gaining momentum.
Is this free?
Yes. The signals and articles are free. We use Google AdSense to keep it that way.
How accurate are the signal scores?
Signal scores reflect current velocity and momentum — not predictions of the future. A high score means something is hot right now. Viral content can flame out fast, so check back daily for the latest.
Can I republish or share BTWV content?
Signal articles are written by us and are free to share with attribution. Please link back to the original article on BTWV rather than republishing the full content elsewhere.
How do I get notified of new signals?
We're working on email notifications and RSS feed. For now, check back daily — new signals go up every morning.
Get in Touch
Have a signal to share? Want to work together? Spotted something we missed? Drop us a message on the contact page. We read everything.