I'm a first-time founder and I've learned a lot over the past year and a half of building, but I think the biggest mental block I experience is choosing a niche. I know I know startup 101, but I've always seen the bigger vision for jotted and know it could be a product for everyone. Sometimes it's difficult to step outside that frame of reference you know?
A little context: jotted is a micro-learning platform and connected chrome extension that allows users to save helpful links from the web into collaborative knowledge maps. The ultimate mission is to turn the best learning resources on the internet into a community-curated online university.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jotted/bhkpkgkamphddkkcibjakioeajhiadpo
Right now, I've had some users use jotted as a maxed-out bookmark bar; saving their endless tabs into mind maps instead of digital folders. I think it could be a powerful research tool and am tempted to lean into features like automatic citation. Of course, we also have students and teachers use it in order to save and organize helpful class content and digital resources. For that niche, I'm thinking about leaning into features such as AI flashcards, summaries, and chatbots.
Basically, I know that I need to dominate a niche before jotted really becomes a "tool for everyone", but I don't know which to pick! Or does it even matter? Anyways, would love to hear some thoughts from the IH community!
Nothing is for everyone. Not even a snack. Not even a bottle of water. They are all for a specific someone. It is not that the product would not be useful for another person or could not be consumed by everyone else, but rather…
Focus sells. (note to myself: I need to create a “FOCUS Method” to sell to people 🤣)
Niche focus can be prioritized in different ways. It will be more about how you can respond to different groups of people. You can go by potential size of a niche, you can prioritize by product alignment (therefore penetration level), you can choose by your ideal roadmap, etc.
There is no “one size fits all” for market prioritization. It is always a case-by-case thing.