The Advantage of Finding a Smaller Niche
How aiming for a modest market can give your side project room to thrive.
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Avoiding Complexity That Doesn't Matter
Why offloading and skipping unneeded tasks can save your side business.
There was a time I believed my side project had to disrupt an entire industry to be "worth it." That mindset is exhausting. When I finally shifted to serving a tightly focused audience, I noticed something wonderful: fewer big competitors bothered to move in.
Sure, my user base was smaller, but it was more committed. I could charge a fair price for specialized value, and my platform's overhead didn't need to be massive to sustain me. It was liberating to realize I could build something profitable without chasing millions of customers.
Learning point: Small can be sustainable. Aim to serve a distinct group with a real need, and you'll avoid the brutal slugfest that comes with hyper-competitive markets.