The Some People Market
Build for the receptive minority instead of persuading the entire market
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 91%
The Some People Market begins with a sufficiency calculation rather than a mass-appeal ambition. Sisson notes that a shoe company can become very successful with one million customers inside a country of hundreds of millions; it does not need everyone. The founder identifies the receptive minority, educates them with researched and authentic content, and creates products for their worldview. This education may need to precede the offer by years: Sisson believes his seed-oil teaching built the knowledge base that later made expensive avocado-oil mayonnaise acceptable. The approach also defines who not to pursue. Rather than weakening the premise to convince resistant prospects, speak to people willing to learn. Credibility grows by supporting claims, staying consistent, and openly changing position when evidence changes.
Origin
Sisson connects years of evidence-backed health education to the later success of Primal Kitchen and applies the same minority-first logic to minimalist shoes.
Core principles
- 01A business needs enough right customers, not universal agreement
- 02Education can prepare a market before a product arrives
- 03Credibility compounds when claims are researched and revised with evidence
- 04Rejecting poor-fit prospects sharpens the audience
How to run it
- 1
Calculate enough
Estimate the number of customers required for a successful business rather than defaulting to the whole addressable population.
Pro tip Use a concrete customer count to make the niche feel operational.
Watch out A large total market is irrelevant if the receptive segment is unreachable.
- 2
Identify your people
Define the customers already willing to question the old model and educate themselves about the alternative.
Pro tip Describe receptivity and behavior, not just demographics.
Watch out Do not count people who must first be argued out of a deeply held position.
- 3
Educate the category
Publish researched explanations that make the new premise understandable before asking for a purchase.
Pro tip Use evidence and explain mechanisms rather than relying on outlandish claims.
Watch out Launching before the market understands the problem can make a good product look premature.
- 4
Build for the minority
Design the product and message for the receptive group even when mainstream advice says the price or format cannot work.
Pro tip Let differentiation qualify customers rather than smoothing it away.
Watch out Do not use niche positioning to excuse a product that lacks demonstrable value.
- 5
Protect credibility
Stick with researched positions, but change your mind visibly when new evidence requires it.
Pro tip Treat evidence-based revision as a trust signal.
Watch out Consistency without responsiveness becomes dogma.
- 6
Release the rest
Stop spending energy trying to convert people who do not want the premise, and concentrate on those who do.
Pro tip Make exclusion explicit enough that the right audience recognizes itself.
Watch out Avoid contempt for noncustomers; simple disqualification is enough.
In the wild
Sisson spent years teaching about seed oils and better food choices before launching an expensive avocado-oil mayonnaise. The accumulated knowledge and credibility helped a receptive subset understand why the product differed, even though conventional retail advice suggested buyers wanted cheap familiar food.
→ Primal Kitchen found enough informed customers to become a fast-growing food company.
Common mistakes
Trying to convince everyone
Broad persuasion wastes attention on people who do not want the premise and can dilute the offer for those who do.
Launching before education lands
Being too early can make a sound product fail because buyers do not yet understand the category.
Is it for you?
Best for
Founders serving an unconventional, premium, or emerging category with a viable receptive niche.
Not ideal for
Products that require near-universal adoption or lack enough reachable customers in the receptive segment.
From the transcript
“I bet there's some people who want who want this so I Rite and I make product for the some people”
“I only need a million people to be a very successful company”
“we did research and we didn't um make outlandish claims without at least backing it with research”
From the episode
Episode 295: Mark Sisson: The Primal Blueprint for Fitness, Metabolic Flexibility, and Entrepreneurship
Mark Sisson