Essay · 3 min read

The smallest viable audience

Seth Godin · Seth's Blog Free Beginner

A short, sharp counterpoint to the instinct to try to reach everyone before you launch: Godin argues you should aim for the smallest audience that can sustain you, and it will turn out to be bigger and more loyal than a broad, average pitch ever would. Read it when your pre-launch content feels like it's for nobody in particular, it's a two-minute fix for that.

  • Aim for the smallest audience that could sustain your launch, not the biggest possible reach
  • Trying to appeal to everyone before launch usually produces content that delights no one
  • A narrow, delighted audience spreads word of mouth further than a broad, indifferent one
Open on seths.blog ↗

It answers 5 questions

  1. How specific should my target customer be when I'm just starting?
  2. Should I focus on one customer segment or serve everyone who'll pay?
  3. How do I build up an audience before I launch so it's not just crickets?
  4. My first launch went okay but the second felt embarrassing, like 'why are they back again already?' Is relaunch fatigue real?
  5. How do I write the actual launch post so it doesn't read like a press release nobody asked for?

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