Article

Customer Development Manifesto: Market Type

Steve Blank · steveblank.com Free Intermediate

Blank shows that entering a new market, an existing one, or a resegmented niche demands completely different strategies, burn rates, and patience. It reframes early versus late into which market type am I in, which then decides how long you must educate customers. A practical structure for setting realistic expectations before you launch.

  • New markets need patience and heavy customer education.
  • Existing markets compete on features against known rivals.
  • Your market type dictates strategy, spend, and how fast adoption can come.
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The question it answers

  1. Is it smarter to enter a market while it's still forming, or wait until demand is obvious and proven?

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