STEP 1.3: A CASE STUDY
Identifies Her Ideal Client
Maria's core concept is "to create structured, actionable wellness plans for busy professionals." But who is that, really? A junior analyst and a senior partner have very different problems. Maria needs to find her specific niche.
The Challenge
How does Maria find the specific group of professionals who are most desperate for her help and willing to invest in a solution?
The Action: Simplified Market Sensing
She starts by using Ki to generate keywords like 'burnout recovery' and 'work-life balance tips' based on her Core Concept. She then uses these keywords to guide her research across three areas:
1. Digital Listening
She browses LinkedIn and sees posts from managers complaining about their team's burnout. She finds a subreddit, r/consulting, where young associates talk about "crying in the bathroom" and "working until 2 AM."
Key Finding:
The pain is most acute for ambitious professionals in high-pressure jobs (consulting, finance, law) who feel like they're failing at "adulting."
2. Competitor Analysis
She looks at other executive coaches. Many focus on performance and productivity. The 3-star reviews often say things like "Great for my career, but I'm still exhausted."
Key Finding:
Competitors are focused on the "what" (career) but missing the "how" (well-being). There's a gap for a coach who integrates both.
3. Problem-First Searching
She googles "how to recover from burnout without quitting my job" and finds articles about setting boundaries and mindfulness, but most are generic.
Key Finding:
People are looking for practical, structured plans, not just fluffy advice. Her project management background is a key differentiator.
The Outcome: A Focused Hypothesis
After pinning his key findings from each research area, Maria uses Ki to synthesize them into a sharp, focused 'First Audience Hypothesis.'
Maria's First Audience Hypothesis:
"My ideal first customer is a management consultant in their late 20s or early 30s who is struggling with chronic stress and the early signs of burnout, and is currently trying to solve it by reading self-help articles and taking the occasional day off, which isn't working."
With this specific hypothesis, Maria now has a clear direction for her validation interviews.