The Simplest Way to Think About Niche Scoring (Non-Technical)

The simplest version. Five candidate niches. Five criteria scored one to ten. Sum the scores. Pick the highest. Schedule problem interviews against it.

The Five Criteria

Reachability. Pain frequency. Existing spend. Differentiation. Builder-fit (audience or trust, not capability).

Why It Works for Non-Technical Founders

Forces honest comparison. Catches niches where you have only interest, not audience. Anchors pricing in existing spend before any contractor commitment.

What to Skip

TAM/SAM/SOM. Bottom-up market sizing. Competitive matrices. Persona docs. None earn their place at five candidates.

Just Run It

Fifteen minutes. The exercise feels uncomfortable when the boring niche scores higher than the exciting one. That discomfort is the data.