Step 08: Clarify who it is for

You're not building for "everyone". You're not building for a demographic label like "women 30-50" or "creatives". You're building for someone in a specific situation, with specific traits, who is ready for a specific shift. Most business advice pushes you toward defining an "ideal customer" using age, job title, or brand preferences. The trap? You end up with a stereotype instead of a real person.

The people you want to serve are defined by:
  • What they're stuck on
  • What they care about
  • What they're tired of trying

This taps into what psychologists call identity-based motivation - people choose products that reflect who they are, not just what they need. You're not selling to a demographic. You're connecting with people whose identity aligns with what you stand for.

Describe them in a way that's real - so real you could find them today, start a conversation, and recognise them instantly. If you can't name observable traits or behaviours, you don't know your audience yet. And that's a gift - it stops you building for a ghost.

What To Do

  • List traits or situations that describe the person your idea is for.
  • Focus on what they're already doing, experiencing, or feeling - not what you wish they were like.
  • Avoid empty descriptors like "ambitious" or "driven" that could apply to anyone.

If your list feels too vague, your next job is to get closer to real people who might buy from you.

Avoid broad labels like "millennials" or "small business owners." Instead, focus on what they're doing, needing, or struggling with right now that signals they're your customer.

What's next

The bottom line: If you can't picture them in a real-world scenario, you're still guessing. Getting this clear makes your audience visible and real.

This isn't about narrowing your market forever. It's about choosing a clear starting point you can reach, understand, and connect with now. You aren't defining a demographic; you're identifying a specific group you can connect with because you understand what they're going through.

Core idea: Stand for something clear and recognisable.

Lucy & Yak started by selling second-hand clothes from a van. They didn't try to beat fast fashion; they rejected the game entirely. Their dungarees weren't just clothes - they were a statement: fun, inclusive, and ethically made. Their branding was hand-drawn. Their tone was unfiltered. They built a community, not just a customer base.

Lesson: People didn't choose Lucy & Yak because their dungarees were technically superior. They chose them because they felt aligned. The company sounded like real people, not a brand committee. Lucy & Yak won by being unmistakably themselves - proof that resonance beats perfection.

Lucy Greenwood, Co-Founder - Interview | Podcast

Core idea: Serve a community, not just a market.

Marcus, an artist, believed he had to choose between artistic integrity and making money. He burned out selling prints he didn't care about and teaching classes that bored him.

The real shift came when he stopped asking "How do I make money from my art?" and started asking "How do I make money that supports my art?"

He offered studio visits, process videos, and a small-batch subscription for collectors who wanted to follow his actual journey.

Lesson: The value wasn't in the finished object - it was in the connection to the creator's process and vision. He stopped trying to serve a market and started serving people who shared his values.

Identity-based motivation is a psychological principle explored by researchers like Daphna Oyserman that explains why people choose options that align with their sense of self. When someone sees themselves in your offer - when it reflects their values, struggles, or aspirations - they don't just buy it. They adopt it as part of their identity.

This is why Lucy & Yak customers don't just wear dungarees - they signal belonging to a community that values ethics and authenticity. The product becomes a badge of identity, not just a purchase.

Example: Marcus the artist didn't just sell art prints. He offered access to his creative process - and his customers weren't buying art, they were buying connection to someone whose values they shared. The transaction was identity-affirming: "I'm the kind of person who supports authentic artists."
Practical takeaway: When describing your audience, focus less on what they do for work and more on what they stand for. The people who choose you aren't just buying a solution - they're choosing alignment with their identity.

Plain English: People buy from businesses that feel like "their kind of people." If your offer reflects their values and struggles, they'll choose you - not because you're objectively better, but because you're unmistakably theirs.

Use these prompts to sharpen your audience description and get specific about who you're really building for:

  • "Here's my list of traits for the person this idea is for. Can you check if these sound like real people or just a stereotype?"
  • "I know who I want to help, but I'm not sure how to describe them without generic labels. Can you help me find more specific language?"
  • "Based on my offer, suggest different audience segments I could focus on - include their main problem or need."
  • "Help me get more specific about my target audience so it's clear who I'm for and who I'm not for."
  • "Suggest 5-10 words or phrases my audience might use to describe their problem or goal in their own language."
Tip: Try these with your AI buddy or team. If your answers still sound generic, you haven't got close enough to real people yet.

This isn't asking why your product is good. It's asking what makes you the one they'll trust. You don't win by listing features. You win when people feel you're on their side.

Reflection: Why would someone choose your version of this solution over someone else's? What's the unspoken thing you stand for that they'll recognise?