Why Your Startup Shouldn’t Chase a Specific Market

If your product works for everyone, then it will also work for a niche market

When an enterprising young entrepreneur introduces me to a new product or startup idea, one of the things that always makes me cringe a bit is when they describe their venture as: “It’s this, but for that.”

“This” is usually a loosely copycatted version of an existing successful product, reimagined to serve the distinct needs of “that,” which is usually a super-niche market segment. College students. Marketers. Athletes. Stay-at-home moms. Stay-at-home everybody.

And about a million more.

This is a mistake waiting to happen. And it’s actually not one of those train wreck mistakes that makes a lot of noise as it crashes its way towards failure. It’s more of an eerily quiet mistake that disappears quickly after failing to get traction with its intended audience.

Never choose your market first. Here’s why.

Facebook was built for college students

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