Demand signal ladder Six levels rise from compliments through problem history, time, reputation, money, and repeat use. Higher levels provide stronger evidence of durable demand. Demand signal ladder Evidence gets stronger when attention turns into costly, repeated choice. 1 Compliment Upvote, praise, “interesting” — attention, not demand. 2 Specific problem history A recent failure, workaround, cost, or consequence. 3 Time commitment Real input, a review, or a booked follow-up. 4 Reputation commitment A contextual introduction or referral risks social capital. 5 Money or operational commitment Paid pilot, purchase, deposit, or real workflow reliance. 6 Repeat or expansion Second job, renewal, broader scope, or reuse after novelty. DURABLE DEMAND COSTLY CHOICE INTEREST