You can't pull the market towards your solution.

Markets move towards desired solutions naturally.

(Like folks lining up for ice cream on a hot summer's day).

Our ability to influence the market is much lower than you think.

It's better to build your product to conform to the direction the market is moving.
Before folks start mentioning Steve Jobs and the iPhone ("Steve built a product we didn't even know we needed!")

Nope.

Steve recognized the market's existing momentum and saw an opportunity.

"Everyone has a cell phone." (momentum)
"But nobody likes it." (opportunity)
Markets move towards solutions on their own; founders can't pull markets over to their solution.
If you're struggling to gain traction, you likely have a problem in your:

- market
- product
- channels

(or all three)
If you're looking for a product idea, start with the market!

Look for existing momentum.

Then look for opportunities.
Here's an example of market momentum, and the opportunity within it:

🌬️ Momentum: more and more folks are starting Shopify stores.
💡 Opportunity: build an app in the Shopify app store in an area that's being underserved.
I just summarized all of this here: https://t.co/OFetIkVujQ
Actually, just had a bike ride, and I'm revisiting my thinking. 🤔
Maybe it's better to think about the demand for individual product categories.
For example:

"From roughly 2007 until 2013, the smartphone market grew at an astonishing pace, posting double-digit growth year after year, even during a global recession."

Ref: https://t.co/jJ8VqhZ2xo

Consumers demanded smartphones, which brought them to the category.
There, they were faced with a choice:

"Which smartphone do I want to buy?"

Here, the marketing, product, and positioning decisions of companies *did* have sway.

For example: "If you're this type of person, you'll want an iPhone."

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