By Lyn Blanchard FCMC When I ask startup founders to describe their product, they often light up. “It’s AI-powered!”“We built it on top of blockchain!”“It’s 40% faster than anything else out there!” That’s all impressive. But here's what I gently ask next: “How does that help your customer?” And that’s when the silence hits. The Mindset Shift: Product-as-Sidekick In storytelling, the hero isn’t the tool. It’s the person on the journey. Think Luke Skywalker, not the lightsaber as an example of the person on a journey seeking resolution. Your product is important - but it’s not the star. Your ...

By Lyn Blanchard FCMC “If we can just get 1% of a billion-dollar market…” If I had a dollar for every time I heard this pitch, I’d be an angel investor. Here’s the truth: you don’t need 1% of a massive market. You need 90% of a tiny one. Enter the Minimum Viable Segment (MVS) - a game-changing concept in GTM strategy that helps you focus on where you can win now, not eventually. Why Personas Aren’t Enough Personas are helpful for empathy - but MVS is about strategy. It forces you to find the smallest addressable segment with an urgent, unmet need, where your solution is the obvious answer. Ask: Who is losing ...