Who Are You Really Building For: The Power of Knowing Your Market
Mark Jarvis
Founder, Director, Non-Exec Director, Interim MD??Helping founder/directors scale a business that works without them ??Master coach and mentor??Big fan of architecture, coffee and cake
One of the biggest mistakes I see founders make and one I really did myself early on, is falling in love with an idea before falling in love with the people it’s meant to serve. It’s easy to get caught up in the brilliance of a product or service, convincing yourself that?everyone?will want it. But here’s the truth: if your company is for everyone, it’s for no one.
Understanding and identifying your target market, not just for your company, but for each of your products and services, isn’t just a business exercise, it’s a survive and thrive strategy. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you don’t deeply understand who it’s for, why they need it, and how they make decisions, your company is running blind.
For me, this step wasn’t about assumptions, it was about research, immersion, relentless questioning, and sometimes re-invention. I didn’t just define broad demographics like age, location, or income. I went deeper:
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I listened. I observed. I had uncomfortable conversations that challenged my own assumptions. And what I discovered reshaped everything, from the messaging to the pricing, and even the product itself.
The best founders don’t guess and try, they know. They know because they’ve put in the work to see their market not as statistics, but as real people with real problems. And once you truly understand those people, what they need, what they value, and what they’ll pay for, you’re no longer just selling. You’re serving.
So here’s my next challenge to you (#5 if you like): Before you refine the product, before you fine-tune the strategy, get obsessed with your market. Because when you truly understand who you’re building for, everything else falls into place.
For more help and guidance, search “target market” in my blog pages.
Portfolio Finance Director to the SME Sector
3 周Very interesting - shining a light on the dark side of the moon as always Mark Jarvis
Helping MD's and business owners GROW and PROTECT their business with solution focussed HR support | HR | Consulting | outsourcing
3 周Very insightful as always Mark Jarvis
Author of Clarity Driven - How To Get It Right When You Can't Know It All.
3 周"The things we want to be true" compelling and dangerous. Love your thoughts on this Mark, an profound point that's so commonly missed.