If our task is to create the right gut feelings, we need to limit the scope of our efforts if we want to succeed. That’s why picking a niche can be so important. It’s easier to be remarkable, to be the best in the world at something, if you focus. This exercise will help you focus.

The task:

If our task is to create the right gut feelings, we need to limit the scope of our efforts if we want to succeed. That’s why picking a niche can be so important. It’s easier to be remarkable, to be the best in the world at something, if you focus. This exercise will help you focus.

The task:

1. Define your core area of specialness – ideally what you are the best in the world at.

2. Articulate something that you stand for – a core principle that comes before anything else

3. Explain how you will be a fanatic advocate of this specialness and/or principle.

a) What profitable opportunities would you say ‘No’ to, because they go against your principles?

b) What profitable opportunities would you say ‘No’ to, because they don’t draw fully on your specialness? (This is about having a fanatical focus that builds a long-term brand)

c) What crazy thing will you do to ensure you become or stay best in the world at your core offering?

d) If this is hard (it should be), can you narrow your customer focus to a point where you can be the best in the world serving them? (You might need to become a global business in order to have enough customers now, but that’s cool.)

e) Who will you take a deep breath and arrange a meeting with, because if you’re really special they ought to know you?

f) And so on.

Next steps:

• Confirm that your collaborators can live with your proposed focus. If they can’t, but you’ve become fanatical about that focus, you need new collaborators.

• If you have a business plan, refine it to reflect your new focus.