How to gain clarity: 5 ways to stop wondering ‘what comes next’ when growing your startup

Most early-stage startups have one thing in common; a lack of clarity surrounding their market.

“That’s startup life”

— a friend of mine told me about 2 weeks ago.

I guess that’s true.

And it could be why many startups struggle to gain traction. At least initially.

I’ve seen it a few times, most recently a few weeks ago when a founder said to me:

“I think I need a landing page, but I’m not sure where I should start, whom I should target, if I should promote a specific feature, or if I need to do a trial or a demo. Can you help me?”

That’s a BIG request. And it comes from a lack of clarity surrounding his market.

So, here are 5 ways (of many) to gain clarity as an early-stage startup:

1. Know the problem your product solves — and if the market even cares about solving it.
2. Know your ideal customers on a personal level.
3. Know your approximate market size.
4. Look at market accessibility. Is it easy to narrow in on that market using standard acquisition channels? It’s surprising how many people ignore this until it’s too late.
5. Decide which go-to-market strategy fits your product and pricing model.