Welcome to Internet Pipes

⏰ Today in 5 minutes or less:

• Internet Pipes is a hidden treasure chest full of the web’s hidden insights.

• Find the best sights for insights, data, leverage, and more.

• Having your own website is only valuable once you have a stronger audience.  

Data Geeks, Here’s Your Guide to the Wonderful World of Internet Pipes

If you love data – exploring it, visualizing it, using it to spark or test your ideas – like me, then Internet Pipes are your rabbit hole. 

More tools usually add more noise. But this one brings structure. 

It was made to deep dive into the web’s hidden corners and surface the most useful ways to find, shape, and validate ideas with data. 

Chaos has been organized. 

Now, you get the tour. 

How I Found Internet Pipes (And Why You Should Care About It) 

I have been following Steph Smith – the genius creator of Internet Pipes – for years now, since she hosted the a16z Podcast. 

Over her career, she developed different building tools, books, and side projects that actually do something. 

But Internet Pipes is, in my opinion, her magnum opus.

When I saw her talk about it, the data geek in me just lit up. 

Internet Pipes isn’t just a list of tools to scour the internet. It’s a guided tour through the web’s hidden insights. 

Steph shows you how to find, validate, and visualize insights like a pro with Internet pipes. 

And if you’re a consultant? This is your secret weapon. 

8 Internet Tools to Add to Your Consulting Toolkit 

Here’s what I love most about Internet Pipes: Steph wasn’t just handing out links. She showed us how to think with them. 

These aren’t just tools. They’re leverage when used right. 

If you’re doing client research, trendspotting, positioning, pricing, content, or predict strategy – these are the tools worth bookmarking (and building systems around). 

For Insights 

Regardless of your niche, you need to listen to what your market wants. 

Otherwise, you’re just guessing. And guessing never bills well. 

Here are some tools to help you gather and refine insights: 

• GummySearch. Reddit is a chaotic treasure trove of real insights, but GummySearch makes it a lot easier to browse. Just search for a topic and it surfaces niche subreddits, top threads, and growing patterns. This way, users get a glimpse of what real people are saying, obsessing over, or quietly building.
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: Great for emerging insights, validating positioning, or grabbing quotes for your next deck. 

• YouGov. This one is about public opinion, but with real stats. You can track shifts in perception across brands, industries, and behaviors (like remote work or social trust).
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: Use it to back up bold ideas or challenge stale assumptions. It’s like market research without a $30,000 invoice. 

• Polymarket. This is where people bet on what they think will happen – elections, product launches, and trends.
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: It gives you early signs of conviction. It’s also useful for building “where the market is going” narratives with data and guts behind them. 

For Data 

Nothing kills a good idea like fuzzy numbers. 

Refine your ideas and back them up better with these tools: 

• AppMagic. This tool shows you what apps are getting downloaded and what they’re earning. You can filter by category or name, and then see revenue estimates, top competitors, and monetization models.
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: Excellent for pricing work, product strategy, or validating demand. It’s like competitor intel with no creeping involved. 

• Google Dataset Search. Think of it as Google for actual spreadsheets. With this, you can search for datasets like “ecommerce trends” or “Gen Z spending” and find clean, usable data sets – many of which are designed for commercial use.
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: Perfect for supporting a point, populating a chart, or writing a report that feels twice as credible. 

• AnswerThePublic. Curious what people actually Google about your or your client’s industry? This tool maps it out for you – visually. 
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: Helps you find content gaps, refine copy, or understand buyer fears and questions straight from the source. 

For Leverage 

Anyone can have a clever idea once. 

But if you want to look sharp in every client meeting, the key is to stay ahead of the curve. 

Use these systems to stay ahead of the curve without scrambling: 

• F5Bot. This tool monitors Reddit, Hacker News, and more for keywords you care about. It sends you an email for mentions, so use it to monitor brands, projects, and just about any topic.
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: It’s a set it and forget it type of tool that automatically updates you on market buzz, product mentions, or complaints before your client asks about them. 

• Flourish. This is probably one of my favorites out of Internet Pipes. As someone who uses charts a lot to emphasize my points, Flourish is a gamechanger. It turns numbers into visuals that actually land. Interactive charts, maps, and timelines – you name it and you have it in minutes.
  
  Why it’s useful for consultants: Because clients don’t remember much of the analysis. They remember which slide made them nod. 

Let the Internet Work for You 

Consultants aren’t paid to chase data. We’re paid to surface the right insight, at the right time. 

Steph Smith’s Internet Pipes is a masterclass in doing exactly that, and I think we could borrow a few tools to add to our stack. 

If you want to ideate faster, validate smarter, and deliver insights that make clients blink... then it’s time to explore the pipes. 

The Website Trap: Why You Don’t Need One at the Start

One of the few things that new indie consultants invest in is a website when starting their practice. 

And I get it. You want to look professional and have a place to direct clients to. 

Having one that’s nice to look at might also feel like an early win or a big progress. 

But it’s not. 

Frankly, it’s an expensive distraction that keeps you from doing what you need to do: get your name seen and heard by the right people. 

I’m not against creating a website for your consulting practice. We have one for Keenan Reid and it was recently revamped. 

It was a big investment, but I thought it was the best time to update it. 

The old site we had did more harm than good – it didn’t look nearly as put-together as it does now. There were lots of broken links, and ultimately, it didn’t reflect the caliber of services we offer. 

With that, I believe that a shiny website is the wrong starting point for most new independent consultants. 

Why You Don’t Need a Website (Yet) 

Websites feel official – like the business doesn’t really exist until the domain is live, and the copy is crisp.  

But it’s not worth all the effort and resources early on. Here’s why: 

1. You’re still figuring out what you’re selling. A website locks in your positioning before you’re even sure what it is. Instead of refining offers in the real world, you’ll be stuck tweaking headlines in web flow.  

2. It’s not where clients come from. Work comes from referrals, through personal connections and warm intros. Unless there’s already a strong personal brand, websites won’t be a meaningful source of inbound leads. 

3. It’s an expensive distraction. DIY it and you’ll burn 30 hours picking brand colors or hire a web designer to do it for $10,000. Either way, it’s a lot of resources spent on something that won’t move the needle immediately. 

When a New Website Makes Sense 

Websites become more valuable to your business once you have a stronger audience.  

You’ve worked with clients, you understand your niche, and you’re ready to be more discoverable at scale. 

They should reflect a business that already has a pulse – not one that’s finding its beat. 

Here are a few signs you’re ready to build your website: 

• You have refined offers and can speak clearly to who you help and how. 

• You’re being referred to more often and want a landing page for people. 

• You already have a library of content or case studies to showcase (and download). 

• You’re ready to reach audiences beyond your immediate network. 

Where to Put Your Time (and Money) Instead 

My advice? Pour all those website hours into something more useful. 

Here’s where I would put mine: 

1. A Killer LinkedIn Profile 

When clients look you up, they will find you on LinkedIn first, so make sure it’s nice to look at. 

It doesn’t have to be flashy; it needs to be clear. 

It should tell people who you help, what problems you solve, and why they should trust you with theirs. 

Need a quick checklist? 

➡️ A clear headline and about section.
🧑‍💼 A professional headshot.
💬 A few shiny recommendations.
🧠 At least three original thought pieces pinned on your profile. 

Here’s what mine looks like:

And if you want to dive further into the anatomy of a kickass LinkedIn profile, see our breakdown of Kris Hardy’s here.

2. Thought Leadership Pieces 

Potential clients are interested to see how consultants think. 

My advice is to start writing about what you notice in your niche – either share lessons from past work or walk through how you think about common challenges. 

At this point, a blog isn’t necessary yet. A LinkedIn article will do the trick just fine. 

What matters is building trust and visibility, not racking up page views or going viral. 

I started writing and publishing long-form thought pieces last year. I simply share my thoughts on topics I find interesting – like these two pieces you’ll find on my LinkedIn: 

• Building a Skyscraper Upside Down. An analysis of The Exchange Tower in Detroit – and how its construction is disrupting one of the biggest (yet least productive?) industries in the world. 

• Do You Know How Your Kids Are Losing Their Money? Co-written with my stepson, Sajan Patel. This piece is about the growing mobile gambling industry and how legacy casinos in Vegas should keep up. 

Give them (and a few others) a read and let me know your thoughts. 

3. Spaces Where Your Target Audience Is 

Instead of creating your own little island online, you should also go and engage with people. 

Comment on posts. Jump into relevant threads. DM people you admire. 

The more you participate in these spaces, the more visible you become – and the more likely someone will think of you when they need help. 

4. Networking Events Offline 

Being in the room reminds people you exist – and not just another LinkedIn profile. 

It gives you the chance to build trust in ways that websites never could. 

My advice? Join roundtable discussions or groups where you’ll find people going on the same journey. 

For me, that would be my CHIEF group.

But other independent consultants also join communities like Fractionals United. 

Before You Hit Publish... 

You can absolutely have a website later. A good one, even. 

But it should reflect a business you’ve already built – not a version you’re still figuring out. 

In the early months, clarity and connection will take you much further than design and domain names ever will. 

The right time to build it will come. 

Until then, focus on something more important: establishing your personal brand and gaining momentum. 

Chart Crimes: Why Start at Zero?

🚨 Chart crimes! 

Bad charts like this are my kryptonite. 

A bar chart this basic? Why bother?  

Remember, the path to success is paved with continuous learning and embracing fresh perspectives.

Let's stay connected, share ideas, and elevate your consulting business.

Stay curious, friends.

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