Small & Viable Market

Thousands of followers, clients, or views are still seen as the gold pot at the rainbow's end. The more, the better. But what does it take to get big? And why getting big after all?

Seth Godin, the most acclaimed blogger on the web, suggests something different. Why not pick the smallest viable market possible? "How few people could find this indispensable and still make it worth doing?" The goal is not to get big. But to make a difference to those you choose to serve.

Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby, did everything to stop his company from growing. He was not seeking growth, but happiness. One is not incompatible with the other, but why is getting big the standard?

Kevin Kelly, the co-founder of Wired Magazine, wrote an essay called "1,000 True fans". The author points out that 1,000 true fans (they buy anything you put out) are enough to make a living in any field, as long as you meet two criteria: 1) create enough each year to earn $100 per fan; 2) receive the $100 directly from your fans. Technically speaking, you could easily get 1,000 people to follow you on IG. The question is: are they your true fans? Bigger is rarely the answer.

Can you compete with those who serve millions? Probably not. So, don't. Position yourself differently.

Grab a sheet of paper and draw two axes. Let's name the axis: the size of the audience and the value offered. You will, perhaps, conclude that most of your competitors have significant audiences while offering medium value.

Pick differently. Offer incredible value to your small audience. And because your audience is smaller, you can build meaningful relationships and stand out from the crowd.

Now, draw two more axes, and think of the two features you could give to bring incredible value to your customers and differentiate yourself from the competition.

Cheap and fast — that is what most people are looking for. But some are not. Steve Jobs offered products that were not cheaper nor faster. Apple products were positioned in two different axes, and they succeeded, by withdrawing from the crowd.

Forget followers. So focused on the gold pot, we miss the rainbow.