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Serviceable Obtainable Market

Also called SOM

Serviceable obtainable market: the share of your serviceable market you can realistically win in the near term, given competition and your resources. The smallest, most concrete number.

Why it matters

SOM is what you can actually go get, so it drives near-term targets and plans more usefully than the bigger numbers. A credible SOM shows you have thought realistically about competition and execution, not just market fantasy.

For example

Given its team and competition, the startup realistically expects to win 2,000 of those companies in two years, its serviceable obtainable market.

Go deeper

Market Size: What is TAM, SAM, & SOM? carta.com · article A clear, no-nonsense primer on the three market-size numbers every founder gets asked about, with the bottom-up method that actually holds up in front of investors. Pick this over the SEO listicles because it comes from a platform that lives inside real cap tables and fundraises. Open carta.com →

Related terms

Serviceable Addressable Market Total Addressable Market Beachhead Market

Also in Starting Up

See how founders actually handle this on Growing and marketing, part of the Starting Up hub.

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