Becoming a dominant force in 2023
Corey Quinn
Founder, Deep Specialization™
Want to become a dominant force in your target vertical in 2023? Answer these 6 power questions covering market size, targets, and what to start, stop, and repeat.
Want to become a dominant force within your target vertical or customer segment in 2023?
Answer these 6 power questions:
What is the total number of businesses in the target vertical or customer segment that can benefit from my product/offer? (regardless of whether they're a current customer or not)
Do we have a list of all these businesses? (If not, get one asap)
How many do we want to get as customers in 2023?
What are we repeating from 2022 to ensure we exceed this target?
What are we starting in 2023 to ensure we exceed this target?
What are we stopping in 2023 to ensure we exceed this target?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why start by identifying the total number of businesses in the target vertical?
Because that number establishes the actual size of the opportunity, regardless of current customer status, providing a clear baseline for setting realistic goals for the year ahead.
Why does having a complete list of these businesses matter so much?
Because without a real list, targeting stays theoretical rather than actionable. Having the actual list is what makes it possible to prioritize and reach out systematically instead of guessing at who's out there.
Why does the exercise ask what's being repeated from the previous year?
Because identifying what already worked provides a foundation to build on, rather than starting the new year's strategy entirely from scratch without acknowledging what's already proven effective.
Why does the exercise also ask what's being started and stopped?
Because meeting an ambitious new target likely requires more than just repeating past actions. New initiatives and consciously dropped activities both play a role in actually exceeding a bigger goal.
What's the overall purpose of working through these 6 power questions?
To move from a vague ambition of becoming dominant in a vertical to a concrete plan grounded in real market size, an actual target, and specific actions to repeat, start, and stop in pursuit of that goal.
About Corey Quinn
Founder, Deep Specialization™
Corey helps founder-led agencies scale through Deep Specialization™ and programmatic M&A. Former CMO of Scorpion ($20M to $200M). Author of "Anyone, Not Everyone."
