founders paras chopra, chapter by chapter
26. Market to the People Who Aren’t Lazy
Find the dissatisfied early adopters instead of trying to move a comfortable majority.
Most people prefer familiar choices and are not actively searching for improvement. A small, market-specific group of early adopters is different: they are dissatisfied enough to seek and discuss something new. They are a startup’s natural entry point and often influence the mainstream later.
Define the burning need, locate the communities where people vocalize it, and focus early distribution there. Do not waste scarce marketing on everyone who could theoretically use the product. Give early adopters an excellent experience—their public reaction becomes evidence for or against wider adoption.
Original sketch and model by Paras Chopra. Read the source chapter.