Niche Down to Category Up

You can, and maybe should, build from a niche category into a large one.

If you are going to define and create a category, the idea might be big, and the end state lofty, as it should be. However, you can layer categories on top of each other to achieve the desired end state.

The ability to execute on creating a category at the beginning is daunting. Most who attempt don’t succeed. They fatigue during the process, don’t have the right approach, the right team, or all of these and more. Starting with a smaller category that can be expanded into something much larger allows a team to understand the dynamics of creating a category with less effort and spend. Niche down now to category up later.

What does this look like? Your desired end state is to create a category to be the leader of automating airport tarmac activities with sensors, cameras, robots, and other physical and digital automation. When any airport operations director thinks about making their tarmac safer, more efficient, and more productive to reduce costs and to serve airline customers better, they think of your company. Being the company defining the future of airport tarmac operations is a big deal and a worthy category to create and lead. Getting there might mean creating an initial category around automated tarmac cleaning with robots to ensure the tarmac is free of debris that can make the environment unsafe for people, equipment, and planes. Starting with defining the category of automated tarmac maintenance is a stepping stone to creating and leading the larger category.

Others may perceive the niche category as too small and not targeting a big enough idea and market. Still, it comes together when positioned as a staggered approach to creating and leading a much larger category.

Customers, investors, and partners will respect the staggered approach more because you are thoughtful about the constraints and execution challenges that must be overcome. People want to engage with and support innovators and big thinkers, not irrational dreamers. A staggered approach from a niche category to a large one demonstrates respect and understanding of the immense journey ahead.