Pick an Industry Worth Building In

How to Identify a $1 Billion+ Market

One of the biggest mistakes people make is starting in a market that’s too small. They assume a good idea alone is enough to build a successful business. It’s not. No matter how brilliant your execution, if the market can only generate a few million dollars, you’re building a hustle, not a scalable company.

Here’s the reality: to create a business that can change your life, and maybe the world, you need to pick an industry that can support a $1 billion+ opportunity.

But don’t get this wrong: bigger markets aren’t harder to enter, they’re easier. That’s counterintuitive, but true. Why?

Easier to attract talent: People want to work on big problems. They want to be inspired. If your market is tiny, it’s harder to recruit the right team.

Easier to raise capital: Investors aren’t excited about small markets. They want potential home runs. Solve a massive problem, and money flows in.

Room for error: In a massive market, even a small piece of the pie can make you rich. Fail in a tiny market, and you’re toast.

So how do you identify a billion-dollar market? Start by following the money trail. Look at companies already making serious revenue.

LinkedIn in recruiting, ZoomInfo in sales intelligence, or big incumbents in education, energy, healthcare, and fintech. If someone is already generating over $1 billion here, the market is validated.

Next, look for consumer pain points. Big markets have entrenched problems. Most people hate the solutions currently available, but they’re too lazy, distracted, or unsure how to solve them. That’s your opportunity. Your job is to build a solution 10x better than the existing ones, not just a slightly improved version.

Finally, combine passion with potential. Pick a market that excites you, not just because it’s big, but because you care about solving its problems. Passion fuels persistence, and persistence is the secret ingredient most founders underestimate.

Starting a business is a brutal journey. You’ll encounter endless setbacks, sleepless nights, and moments of doubt. The last thing you want is to realize three years in that your market was too small, or your solution barely matters. Picking a big industry upfront gives you the space, resources, and emotional fuel to endure the long grind and come out on top.