What is Signal Strength?

Signal strength is a numeric score assigned to each Alpha Card. It ranges from 1 (low) to 10 (high) and reflects how much attention a topic is getting across multiple platforms.

A higher signal strength means more people are discussing the topic across more platforms. The score is calculated from total engagement (upvotes, comments, stars) multiplied by a source diversity factor — signals that appear on multiple platforms rank higher than single-source signals.

Signal strength is not editorial judgment. It does not indicate that an opportunity is "good" or "bad." A score of 8 means the topic has high cross-platform engagement. A score of 3 means the signal is emerging but not yet widely discussed.

Overheard displays signal strength as data, not visual hierarchy. All cards render identically regardless of their score — the number is shown so readers can factor it into their own assessment.