In this insightfully honest episode, Lee Zuvanich, Zach Oshinbanjo, and Sarah Schumacher dive into TAM, SAM, and SOM (no, that’s not a delicious soup). They drive home the importance of understanding your Total Addressable Market (TAM) and listening to feedback before assuming your next idea is the big one. Don't spend all your money on ads and accolades before you even know what your market wants.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Hosts' Backgrounds

00:40 Understanding Market Sizing: TAM, SAM, SOM

04:15 Common Mistakes in Market Entry

06:00 Challenges in Customer Acquisition

08:18 Misidentifying Your Market

17:04 Finding Product-Market Fit

21:26 User Research and Market Validation

22:17 The Beta Tease and Market Missteps

23:00 Testing Product Market Fit

23:10 MVPs and Real-World Testing

24:15 Marketing Challenges and Misconceptions

25:33 Understanding Your Market

28:31 Lifestyle Business vs. Startup

40:20 Effective Communication and Positioning

41:41 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Red Ocean
• Just Start - smschumacher.com

Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder’s journey is different, so take what works and make it your own.

Learn more at founderproblems.com.