a single source, nothing corroborates it

Act your size when you pick the first buyers

A thousand-seat order from a giant is not your next sale when version one is buggy, undocumented and has no reference customer. Aim at organisations small enough to decide quickly, and cost the decade of direct selling before choosing a tiny vertical.

The method

1. 01

   Accept that a thousand-seat order from a giant is not your next sale, because your version one is buggy, missing most of what a large buyer requires, and has no manual, case studies, return-on-investment model or reference customer.

2. 02

   If you deliberately choose a tiny vertical, plan for a decade-long grind with direct sales and years of paying yourself almost nothing.

3. 03

   Target online businesses of roughly three to ten people: large firms bury you in approval layers and custom requests, while solo freelancers are too price sensitive.

What it returned

• 2002

  Moraware, software for countertop fabricators, launched in 2002 and passed 2,000 customers by 2019 with eleven employees; the founders drew no pay for the first eighteen months and gave up six-figure salaries, and co-founder Ted said he probably would not start the same company again because the market is hard to search for and to sell into.

• Cohen has sold to buyers from solo builders up to IBM and Lockheed Martin, and says the enterprise deal comes later.

• Names e-commerce, publishing and software companies as the ideal customer profile, noting a freelancer at least holds the card themselves

Sources

• The myth of the niche marketJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · Case study: Moraware · undated
• You’re a little company, now act like oneJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · You’re a little company, now act like one · 2009-08-31
• Chapter 2: What Makes A Good Micro-SaaS Idea? - Tyler TringasTyler Tringas · tylertringas.com · Small online businesses are the sweet spot · 2016-10-28