Market SelectionProven Pattern

Choose a market of people you enjoy talking to

Long-term motivation comes from enjoying your customers, not just the market opportunity. Find people you want to chat with all the time.

When to use

When evaluating market opportunities; when considering long-term fit

Don't do this

Choosing markets solely based on size or opportunity

4 Founders Who Did This

1
Kaching Bundlesby Ericas

Chose Shopify app ecosystem because already had experience with Shopify clients, knew the market, and could leverage existing relationships

Result:Built familiarity reduced learning curve and provided initial customers
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2
Draft.devby Karl Hughes

Found developer content niche by asking two questions: 'Is this something I like doing and am interested in?' and 'Are customers willing to actually pay for it?'

Result:Intersection of personal interest and customer willingness to pay led to sustainable competitive advantage and $2.5M ARR
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3
GoProposalby James Ashford

Committed to speaking to an accountant every single day for five years, building genuine relationships and friendships with his customers. Despite being a non-accountant, his deep engagement with the market made him the #1 LinkedIn influencer in accounting.

Result:78 NPS score; customers thanked him for weekly emails; became most trusted voice in the accounting software space
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4
Sleekby Mattia Pomelli

Identified gap in mobile app design tools while web design was well-served, applied domain expertise from 4 previous design tools

Result:Hit $10K MRR in 6 weeks without marketing spend in the underserved mobile design niche
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