STEP 1.3: A CASE STUDY
Identifies His Ideal Client
Sam's concept is to help "freelance writers." But this is too broad. To build a successful MVP, he needs to find his specific, initial niche.
The Challenge
How does Sam find the specific group of writers who are most frustrated by their current tools and most likely to adopt (and pay for) a new one?
The Action: Simplified Market Sensing
He uses Ki to generate keywords like 'freelance invoice template' and 'client management for writers'. He then uses these keywords to guide his research.
1. Digital Listening
He browses the r/freelancewriters subreddit and sees post after post asking: "How do you all track your projects and invoices? My spreadsheet is a disaster!"
2. Competitor Analysis
He looks at large project management tools. The 3-star reviews often say, "This is too complicated for a solo freelancer. I just need something simple for my writing projects."
3. Problem-First Searching
He Googles "free invoice generator for writers" and finds basic, ad-filled tools that don't connect to project tracking.
The Outcome: A Focused Hypothesis
After pinning his key findings, Sam uses Ki to synthesize them into a sharp 'First Audience Hypothesis.'
Sam's First Audience Hypothesis:
"My ideal first customer is a freelance content writer who is struggling with managing multiple clients and tracking invoices, and is currently trying to solve it by using a messy combination of spreadsheets and Google Docs."
With this specific hypothesis, Sam knows exactly who to interview in Step 2.