Venture Builder Chronicles

When someone says "all good niches are taken," that's your signal you're talking to a wantrepreneur.

Profitable niches aren't discovered through research alone.

They're created through iterations driven by actual market feedback.

#buildinpublic

I want to learn formulating and applying hypotheses.

I think they're important but missing something.

Today was one of my best planning sessions.

Identified hypotheses to test next week

How long did it take you to start working in hypotheses not tasks?

Good morning!

When niching down for your first product, what stops you from going narrow enough?

- Fear market too small
- Want bigger opportunity
- Can't find specific niche
- Access to audience issue

#buildinpublic

Counterintuitive truth:

Thinking without action leads to generic conclusions.

Anyone can research and reach the same obvious answers.
Real niches emerge from building products and getting market feedback, not from perfect planning in isolation.

Fully based on the latest personal experience xDDD

Win a niche so specific that you're the obvious choice. Then expand from a position of strength.

The goal isn't staying small forever. It's using small to build the traction, revenue, and reputation that lets you go big later.

Day 5: Deep dive top 3 niches, check for review mining opportunities
Day 6-7: Pick one niche, map expansion paths, verify it passes the "uncomfortably narrow" test

Don't try to compete with funded companies in broad markets when you're starting with no reputation and limited resources.

You're not settling for small. You're using small as the springboard to big.

Action Plan for This Week:

Day 1-2: Use all three methods to generate 10+ potential niches
Day 3-4: Apply two-question filter, eliminate non-viable options

Starting niche gives you unfair advantages as a new founder:

- Smaller audience = actually reachable with limited budget
- Specific problems = crystal clear positioning
- Less competition = faster initial traction
- Tight feedback loops = better product faster

Before committing, map potential expansion:

- Where could you expand after dominating the core niche?
- Are there adjacent audiences with similar problems?
- Can the product scale horizontally or vertically?

You want to start narrow, but not in a dead end.

Why This Framework Works:

Getting there: "Project management for boutique creative agencies with 5-15 employees"
Just right: "Project management for boutique creative agencies in healthcare vertical with 5-15 employees"

If it doesn't feel uncomfortably narrow, go narrower.

Step 5: Verify expansion paths exist

Step 4: Niche down until it feels uncomfortable

Your goal:

Go as narrow as possible while maintaining reasonable market size.

Too broad: "Productivity app for professionals"
Still too broad: "Project management for agencies"

- Terrible reviews
- Clear complaints about specific features

Build what they should have built.

You get:

- Validated demand (people are already paying)
- Clear differentiation (you know exactly what they hate)
- Frustrated customers ready to switch

- Can you afford the marketing channels they use?
- Do you know people in this niche already?

If either answer is no, eliminate that niche immediately. Enthusiasm doesn't pay bills.

Step 3: The review mining shortcut

Find existing products in your chosen niche with:

- Great core concept

Question 1: Is there money here?

- Can these people afford to pay?
- What's realistic customer lifetime value?
- Are they already spending money on solutions?

Question 2: Can you reach them with your current resources?

- Do you have access to where they gather?

- Ask: "Could this concept work in a different niche?"

Calendly for coaches - Calendly for medical specialists
Notion for writers - Notion for day traders

Same mechanics, different audience, less competition.

Step 2: Apply the two-question filter

For each potential niche, answer:

Examples: commercial real estate brokers, supply chain managers, specialized healthcare roles, niche consulting fields.

Method C: Product transfer strategy

- Spend 1 week collecting products you genuinely like
- Notice patterns in what attracts your attention

"I'm interested in fitness" doesn't count. "I've been powerlifting for 3 years" does.

Method B: Research high-demand professions

- Use AI to list 50+ professions
- Focus on B2B opportunities (they have budgets)
- Pick ones that make money but lack good software

Method A: Audit your actual experience

- Open your browser history from the last 30 days
- List your hobbies, side interests, regular activities
- What do you already do that gives you insider knowledge?

This matters because you need actual experience, not theoretical interest.

You're paralyzed between "go big or go home" and "this niche is too small to matter."

The actual problem:

You're thinking backwards about market size.

Here's the practical framework you can implement this week:

Step 1: Generate your niche list (3 methods)

You want to start building products, but you're staring at a massive market wondering where to begin.

No reputation. Limited budget. No existing audience.

Every broad market looks either too crowded or too risky.

👇 [THREAD] 👇

#buildinpublic

GM, GM!

You discovered a product with great concept but terrible reviews in your target niche.

What's your move?

- Build better version
- Contact frustrated users
- Study why it failed
- Pick different niche

#buildinpublic

Niche product advantages for new founders:

- Less competition = faster traction
- Smaller audience = easier to reach
- Tight feedback loops = better product
- Specific problems = clearer positioning

Start narrow.

Expand once you've won the core market.

#buildinpublic

High-demand professions are underserved B2B niches.

Accountants, physiotherapists, real estate brokers, supply chain managers. (Remember about niching down)

Pick professions that make money but lack good software.

They'll pay premium prices for solutions that save them time.

#buildinpublic

Your experience already contains niche opportunities.

Open your browser history from the last month.

- What workflows frustrate you?
- What tools do you use repeatedly?
- What problems do you Google/Asked AI multiple times?

That's market research you've already done.

#buildinpublic

Morning question:

You find a niche with 5,000 potential customers but $5K average customer value.

Another has 100,000 customers but $50 average value.

Which do you choose?

- Small, high value
- Large, low value
- Need more context
- Test both first

#buildinpublic

When niching down, your goal is going as narrow as possible while maintaining reasonable market size.

"Fitness app" is too broad
"Strength training app for powerlifters over 40" is just right

Specificity eliminates competition without eliminating opportunity.

#buildinpublic

The review mining approach:

Find products with great concepts but terrible reviews.

Build what they should have built.

You get validated demand + clear differentiation + frustrated customers ready to switch.

#buildinpublic

Before building anything, answer two questions:

Is there money in this niche?
Can I actually reach these people with my current resources?

If either answer is no, pick a different niche.

Enthusiasm doesn't pay bills.

#buildinpublic

Good morning builders!

You're starting with zero reputation and limited budget. Which niche selection approach would you use first?

- Audit my experience
- Research professions
- Study existing products
- Combine all three

#buildinpublic

The product transfer strategy nobody uses:

Find successful products in one niche.

Transfer the concept to a different niche.

Notion for writers - Notion for day traders
Calendly for coaches - Calendly for medical specialists

Same mechanics, different audience.

#buildinpublic