Pick a niche. Have laser focus. Niche down. The prevailing business wisdom for startups is to focus on the smallest possible group of people to serve. I think it’s terrible advice. Or at least terribly incomplete.
Certainly, it works from a commercial point of view and to get off to a good start. However, when bringing solutions into the world our responsibilities reach further than making money and the small group of beneficiaries we are directly serving.
How does our solution impact other living beings that are not the direct beneficiaries of our solution?
The prevailing business approach is to design solutions in perfect isolation. Our world with its radically interdependent ecosystems doesn’t work that way. Our solutions create impact that goes far beyond our target audience. If we all focus only on our specific target audience, our cumulative efforts risk doing more harm than good.
How do we know that solving one problem for a very small group of beneficiaries doesn’t lead to bigger problems for other living beings?
For anyone serious about making our world a better place, we need to let go of old business paradigms, and adopt a holistic, yet practical, life-centric approach to business that considers the wellbeing of all living beings.
PS: naturally, non-human beings can also be the direct beneficiaries of a solution.
