Take a guess

“It has long been a truism that to hit a target, you first get “Ready,” then you “Aim,” then you “Fire.”  What I have found in the world of startups is that if you shoot first, and aim later, there can be many practical benefits.”

• Kevin Ready, 3 simple words for a more successful startup

Most of the world is connected to the Internet.

So in theory… you could actually sell to anyone.

We also know that doing something is better than nothing.

So I want you to to take action right away by answering this question:

Who is your customer?

When you built your product, there’s someone you had in mind.

It might have been you, someone you know, or you might have even simply enjoyed building it and think others might find it useful.

So take a guess as to who that might be.

Try and be as specific as you can.

Here’s some examples:

• I built this reusable sunscreen applicator for people going outdoors during Summer and want to do something about their environment
• I wrote this book for aspiring founders and business owners who get overwhelmed by all the options they have to sell online
• I craft handmade clothes for women who enjoy gifting unique garments to their families

I don’t want you to stress about how to find them just yet, I just want you to guess who they might be.

At this point there should be a person or “type” that pops into your head.

I want you to trust that guess based on conversations you’ve had, what motivated you to get started, and things you’ve noticed about the business you’re in.

Here’s some more prompts for thinking about “types”:

• Who does your business serve?
• If you were writing an email to just one person about your business who would be on the other side? What do they look like?
• Are you connected to them in some way, related to them, or know something about them?
• Where are they? Does your business require them to be in a particular region, or can it be purchased online and posted to them? Where is your business and product the most useful?
• What life stage is your “type” in? Is it a child, a parent, a retiree, or middle-age professional established professional?

There are many ways to get more detailed but by taking a guess you are taking action.

Over time your guesses will get more accurate until you’ll be able to anticipate what they say and why you solve their problem.

To improve that accuracy your job is to Find, Offer, and Notice in as many cycles as you can.

By moving through Find-Offer-Notice repeatedly you’re not getting caught up on one particular thing.