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Find the one narrow thing that you can do well, and carve out something that's great.

Y Combinator
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  • Strategic Focus on Verticals: Success is framed as dominating a specific, narrow vertical where founders can aggressively compete for a defined user set, rather than targeting broad, high-value markets.
  • Revenue Target Thresholds:
    • The goal is prioritizing the attainment of $100 million in annual revenue over building "10 or 100 billion dollar companies" immediately.
    • Achieving $10–20 million in annual revenue is identified as a critical milestone that enables organic growth.
  • Market Segmentation Tactics:
    • Founders are advised against creating "one-size-fits-all" products for broad professions (e.g., "all lawyers").
    • Specific examples of narrow targeting include serving distinct sub-segments like "appellate lawyers."
  • Operational Independence:
    • Businesses generating $10–20 million in revenue may not require external capital injections.
    • Growth can be funded organically through cash flow, allowing founders to retain significant ownership equity.
  • Scalability Logic: Mastering a narrow vertical first creates strategic options and a foundation for future expansion once the niche is successfully secured.