## 📊 Knowing the landscape A **market assessment** helps you understand the environment you’re operating in—who your customers are, what alternatives they have, and what trends might shape the future of your product or company. In Forge, your market assessment is a strategic artifact that complements your [[SWOT Analysis]] and informs your [[Strategy]], [[Value Proposition]], and [[Projects]]. ### 🎯 Why market assessments matters Building a great product isn’t enough. You need to know where it fits—and whether the conditions support its success. This isn’t about writing a pitch deck slide—it’s about _making smarter decisions._ A market assessment helps your team: - Identify underserved customer segments or unmet needs - Understand competitive dynamics and positioning - Spot emerging trends or risks in the space - Validate your direction before investing in execution - Align your [[Goals]] with what the market actually wants ### 🧱 Key components #### 👥 Target Segments - Who are you building for? - What industries, company sizes, or roles are you targeting? - Are these customers growing, shrinking, or shifting? #### 🧩 Market Need - What problems are most urgent or costly in this space? - What solutions exist today—and what’s still missing? - How are customers solving this now (with or without you)? #### 🏁 Competitive Landscape - Who else is solving this problem? - What do they do well, and where are they weak? - How are they positioned, priced, and perceived? #### 📈 Trends & Forces - What macro trends (tech, economic, regulatory) could impact your market? - Is the market expanding, contracting, or being redefined? - Are there emerging behaviors or unmet needs? #### 💰 Size & Potential - How big is this opportunity—realistically? - Is this a niche beachhead or a scalable market? - Are there adjacent markets you could grow into later? --- ### Further Reading **_The Lean Startup_** by Eric Ries Focuses on continuous market validation and customer development. **_Crossing the Chasm_** by Geoffrey Moore A classic guide to understanding market dynamics and technology adoption curves. **_Play Bigger_** by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead Explores how companies define and dominate new market categories.