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Wide vs Narrow Positioning
Product / Dualities
Be something to many, or everything to few.
The Tension
Wide positioning reaches bigger markets but says less. Narrow positioning means a lot to a small audience. Wide is harder to defend; narrow is harder to scale.
The Two Sides
| Wide | Narrow |
|---|
| Big market | Small, loyal audience |
| Generic value prop | Specific promise |
| More competitors | Fewer competitors |
| Harder to differentiate | Harder to grow beyond niche |
How to Navigate
- Start narrow. You need a beachhead before a beach.
- Widen only after you dominate the narrow segment.
- A narrow identity travels; a wide identity forgets its roots.
Examples
- Basecamp is narrow (project management for small teams).
- Superhuman started narrow (executives who live in email).
- Tesla started narrow (expensive, fast EVs) before moving mass-market.
The Trap
Starting wide because the TAM looks bigger. Most wide-at-launch products die before anyone knows what they do.
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