Don’t Start a Business Against the Wave

Starting a new business is always exciting, but before diving in, it’s crucial to align your vision with the current market trends and user behavior. If your target audience’s habits or preferences conflict with your product or service, the road to success will be much steeper—and, as in the case of Sam’s venture, it may lead to failure.

Sam’s Story: A Well-Intentioned Idea Sam noticed that people in metro stations spent hours glued to their mobile screens during even short commutes. Concerned about the potential harm this habit could cause, especially to youth and their careers, he sought to create a solution. His idea: a books library at metro stations.

The concept was simple—users could borrow and return books from any metro station, encouraging reading instead of screen time. Unfortunately, despite his good intentions, Sam’s business failed.

Why Did Sam Fail?

Sam faced several challenges that revealed a mismatch between his idea and his audience:

1. User Behavior Misalignment: The majority of metro travelers preferred entertainment, such as videos and games, over reading physical books.
2. Reluctance to Pay: Many users showed no interest in paying for the service, making it difficult to generate revenue.
3. Inventory Management: Keeping books fresh and relevant across multiple stations was complex and costly.
4. High Recurring Expenses: Rental costs, maintenance, and logistics ate into the budget, leaving little room for profit.
5. Limited Market Demand: The target user base simply didn’t prioritize this service, leading to low adoption.

The Lesson

Sam’s story is a powerful reminder: always research your target market and understand your audience’s preferences before launching a business. A great idea can still fail if it doesn’t align with what users want or need.

Your Takeaway

Before starting any business, ask yourself:

• Does this solve a problem that people care about?
• Is the user behavior conducive to my solution?
• Can I sustain this business with available resources?

Starting a business against the wave of user behavior is like swimming upstream—it’s possible, but it requires immense effort, resources, and often, a significant change in strategy.

What Do You Think? Do you agree with this perspective? Have you encountered similar challenges in your entrepreneurial journey? Share your views or experiences in the comments below!

Credit CA Deepak Rungta ChatGPT