Exploding Topics: Privacy-first products and growth-focused job titles

Exploding Topics scours the internet to find emerging trends before they take off. Here are four hot trends that are part of some even juicier meta trends.

1. NextDNS

NextDNS is Pi-Hole on the cloud. Which allows users to filter out internet trackers at the network level. In fact, NextDNS was used to block 3.2B trackers over the last month.

How is NextDNS different from a VPN?

VPNs route web requests through a private server to make your requests anonymous. On the other hand, NextDNS can block tracking, malware and phishing domains directly. The software also filters out ads, both in web browsers and within apps.

Similar network level products like Pi-Hole require hardware (like a Raspberry Pi) to run the software. In fact, 5,400 people search “pi-hole setup” each month to try to figure this out.

However, NextDNS has hosting built-in and doesn’t require any outside hardware. Hence its growing popularity (searches are up 6600% in the last two years).

What’s next:

NextDNS is part of the “privacy-first products” meta trend.

According to Cisco’s 2020 Consumer Privacy Survey, 48% of consumers feel they cannot adequately protect their data.

So new products that put privacy front and center are in high demand. Other examples of this trend include the Brave web browser, Signal messenger app and the social network MeWe.

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2. Revenue Operations

Revenue Operations (also known as “RevOps”) is a combination of sales, marketing and customer success under one organizational umbrella. And it’s one of the fastest-growing jobs in the SaaS industry.

In fact, according to data from LinkedIn, 2.7x more people have “Revenue Operations” in their job title than “chief sales officer”.

And a Forrester Research study found that publicly traded companies with a revenue operations team had a 71% better stock performance compared to companies without one.

What’s next:

Revenue Operations is one of many examples of new, growth-focused job titles. Other examples of this trend include talent operations, head of growth, customer success and growth lead.

3. Squat Proof Leggings

Searches for “squat proof leggings” have increased by 70% since we covered them back in August. So we thought we’d take another look at this exploding topic.

What are they? Squat proof leggings are leggings that don’t become transparent when stretched.

(For example, during squats, lunges, downward dogs, and other movements that cause fabric to stretch.)

This category has grown quickly largely due to the fact that workout pant transparency is a real issue for gym-goers. In fact, a Shape Magazine poll found that the majority of personal trainers consider “unwittingly transparent leggings” a serious problem for their clients.

What's next:

Squat proof leggings are the latest Lululemon-inspired athleisure category. With a $8B market cap, Lululemon is one of the most dominant companies in the athleisure category. However, according to Retail Dive, they only account for 10% of sales in this growing space. Which indicates the market is still fairly open for new entrants. Emerging athleisure brands include Aoxjox, Yogipace, Joylab and Peloton Apparel.

4. Chess Board

Searches for “Chess Board” have increased by 185% over the last 3 months.

And some chess retailers are reporting revenue increases of more than 1,000% YoY.

The reason: Netflix’s chess-focused miniseries, The Queen’s Gambit.

Over 62 million households have watched the show in its first 4 weeks — setting a record for a Netflix limited series. And driving interest in chess boards through the roof.

What’s next:

Aside from the impact of The Queen’s Gambit, chess boards are also part of the “tabletop gaming boom” meta trend.

Interest in tabletop games has been rising for years, thanks in part to increased screen fatigue. And this year, the pandemic has spurred interest even higher as people search for ways to stay entertained at home.

Other examples of this meta trend include Splendor, Dungeons & Dragons, board game cafes (which were growing quickly before the pandemic), Catan and Monopoly Deal.

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