TL;DR: Think every business idea is already taken? Think again. Market gaps and unmet needs always exist. Kevin Kelly's "1,000 True Fans" theory reminds us you don't need millions of customers; just 1,000 loyal ones can sustain a business. Find your niche by: 1) Piggybacking on large companies (serving their peripheral needs), 2) Identifying and providing better value for overpriced goods/services, or 3) Tackling the complex, troublesome tasks others avoid. Start focused, dominate your niche, and then grow.
We live in a world brimming with businesses and innovations. It often feels like every conceivable niche is already filled, leaving aspiring entrepreneurs wondering, "What's left for me to do?" This feeling can be paralyzing, making it hard to find a market entry point.
But here's the reality: opportunities always exist. There are always consumer needs not being fully met, gaps in the market waiting to be discovered. Find that gap, serve that unmet need, and you've found your business opportunity.
You Don't Need the Whole World, Just 1,000 True Fans
Back in 2008, tech thinker Kevin Kelly published his influential "1,000 True Fans" theory. His core idea was simple yet powerful: anyone creating things (artists, musicians, designers, writers, artisans, innovators) doesn't need mass appeal to make a living. They only need about 1,000 true fans – dedicated customers who love what they do and are willing to pay for it consistently.
Translate this to business: if you can identify and genuinely serve just 1,000 loyal customers, you theoretically have a sustainable business foundation. Forget conquering the entire market from day one; focus on finding and delighting your core tribe.
This mindset contrasts sharply with some aspiring entrepreneurs I've met. People come for interviews saying, "Give me money, give me people, give me resources, and I can start a business!" Yet, they often can't articulate the market size, the specific need, or how they'll reach those first crucial customers.
So, how do you find that initial market gap, that space where your first 1,000 true fans might be waiting? Here are three practical approaches I've seen work:
1. Piggyback on Large Enterprises (搭順風車 - Ride the Coattails)
Not everyone needs to build the next global giant or be the star player. Many smart entrepreneurs in Hong Kong and elsewhere find success by "riding the coattails" of established corporations. They identify essential peripheral services or products these large companies need and build a business around fulfilling that specific requirement, often quietly and profitably.
- Example: A partner of mine specializes solely in integrating various small programs and APIs (小程式整合) for larger enterprise systems. He's a supporting player, but provides a vital service and runs a successful business.
- Simpler Example: Think about retail. Selling goods directly can be tough. But what about supplying the essential packaging bags those retailers need? The demand is consistent, driven by the larger retailers' sales, and the supplier might even achieve better margins than the store itself.
2. Find and Disrupt Overpriced Goods/Services (售價明顯過高)
Markets aren't always perfectly efficient. While some goods are priced razor-thin, many others remain stubbornly overpriced relative to their cost or value. This inefficiency is your opportunity.
- Example: Remember when several affordable Japanese eyewear brands entered the Hong Kong market? It was a sudden wake-up call for many consumers, revealing just how much they'd been overpaying for glasses previously.
- Another (cheeky) Example: Sometimes I joke about computer programmers! 😉 But think seriously – where else do you feel the price is significantly higher than the underlying cost? Specialized consulting? Certain software licenses? Coffee? Cosmetics? Digital marketing services? That feeling of "this costs how much?!" often points to a market gap ripe for disruption with a better value proposition.
3. Do What Others Won't (The Troublesome Stuff - 別人不想做、嫌麻煩的事)
Instead of jumping into hyper-competitive trends (like the endless bubble tea shops - 珍珠奶茶), look for the opposite: tasks and niches that other businesses avoid because they seem too difficult, too messy, too low-margin, or just plain annoying.
- Example: I have a friend in the printing business in Hong Kong. He deliberately focuses only on extremely high-quality, complex, and often "troublesome" (麻煩) printing jobs that require meticulous attention to detail. While others chase volume, he built expertise in difficulty. Even when the economy slows, clients needing that specific high-end service keep lining up.
Mastering the difficult or undesirable builds a strong competitive moat.
From Market Gap to Market Leader
Starting in one of these market "gaps" (空隙) might mean your initial market size is small. That's okay. The key is to serve that niche exceptionally well. Become the undisputed leader in your specific area. From that strong foundation, you can gradually expand, fill out the gap more broadly, and perhaps even challenge or displace the established players in the larger market over time.
Don't let the illusion of a saturated market deter you. Find your niche, serve your 1,000 true fans exceptionally well, and build from there.
假如你不知道「1,000鐵粉理論」
我們生活在一個高度發展的世界，感覺上，好像什麼生意都有人在做，令想要創業的人感到苦惱，因為找不到「可以做咩」的市場切入點。
事實上，生意/ 事業是有的，一定有一些消費者需求沒有被照顧到，我們找到這個空隙，就可以找到商機。
Kevin Kelly 早在 2008 年，就發表了相當著名的「1,000鐵粉理論」：任何從事創作或藝術工作的人，例如藝術家、音樂家、攝影師、工匠、演員、動畫師、設計師、或作家⋯⋯等，只要能獲得 1,000 位鐡粉，就能維持生活。所以你只要找到1000位客人，你的生意理論上就可以上軌道。
我曾經遇到過人來面試時跟我說：給我錢，給我人，給我資源，我就可以創業。但沒有一位可以解釋市場有多大。要找到市場的空隙，我認為以下三個方向是可行的：
- 搭大型企業的順風車 不是每個人都有能力做事業，也不一定都能當主角。事實上，聰明的香港人常會搭順風車，跟著大企業，挑周邊的事情來做，安安靜靜地賺錢。我的一位合作夥伴就專門做小程式整合。雖然是配角，但他還是有利可圖。 再講個更簡單的例子，賣東西需要用到包裝袋，如果我當包裝袋的供應商，一定會有固定需求，獲利可能還高過開店的人。
- 找出售價明顯過高的商品 理論上消費者以合理價格購買商品，商家則賺取合理利潤。當然，進化需要時間，而零售市場長期存在著價格混亂的問題。雖然有貨品已經便宜到廠商僅能賺取微利，但仍有不少商品售價過高，而後者就是商機所在。 舉個例子，近年來有一些日本平價眼鏡品牌引進香港，也讓消費者突然驚覺，原來過去我們買的眼鏡都太貴了。另一個實例則是電腦程式員。😆 我們可以想一想，還有什麼商品是成本不高，但售價仍然偏高的？咖啡？化妝品？或是任何東西，市場的空隙就藏在其中。
- 找到別人不想做、嫌麻煩的事 做事業不能看大家都在做的事（倒如：珍珠奶茶⋯⋯），反而要去做大家都「不做」的事。有些事覺得麻煩、利潤太少或不想做，而你去做了，就能挖掘到商機，也有機會變成大生意。 我的一位在香港做印刷的朋友，他只做一些非常高水準及「麻煩」的印刷品，即使經濟不好仍然有大量客戶排隊合作。
既然是市場「空隙」，市場肯定不會大，但只要做得好，將來就可以一步步擴充，將空隙填實，甚至取代掉原本的市場
Go find your 1,000 true fans. They're out there waiting for someone to solve their specific problem or meet their unique need. Build smart.
