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202 6 SECRETS TO STARTUP SUCCESS

your products or services? Why are they a good fit?

9 What is their financial/budget capacity?
9 Who are potential “marquee” customers (major

relationships that will put your business on the map and
drive additional business)?

M3. What is the nature of your market opportunity?

9 How large is the market? How fast is it growing (or
declining)? Why is it growing (or declining)? Is it
emerging or mature? Fragmenting or consolidating?
What is most compelling about it?

9 What’s happening in your industry? What larger forces
and trends are driving the opportunity (economic,
technological, demographic, social, regulatory,
environmental, etc.)?

9 How long will your window of opportunity be open?
Why is this the right time to enter the market (or if not
now, when is the right time)?

9 How broad or narrow is the market opportunity? What
segments/niches/tiers will your business target?

9 Other relevant market issues/questions to address?
M4. What will be your approach to marketing and selling your offering?

M5. Who is currently addressing (or attempting to address) the op-
portunity, and how? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Why do you think the opportunity is not yet fully exploited?

M6. What is your competitive advantage? Is it durable, sustainable?
What is unique about your offering (your “secret sauce”)? What
differentiates you in the eyes of clients?

M7. What are regulatory/legal concerns or opportunities regarding
this market?

American Management Association • www.amanet.org