November 26, 2025
What does “niching down” even mean?
In my interview with J.J. Peterson, we discussed the idea of finding a niche.
We’re both big fans of niching down, but discovered that our definitions of the term don’t overlap completely.
To me, “niching down” is when you stop marketing to everyone (e.g., “businesses” or “people”) and start marketing to a very specific type of ideal buyer.
Most people seem to think “niching down” and “picking a vertical” are synonymous, but there are other ways to niche down.
- Vertical focus (e.g., dentists)
- Platform focus (e.g., people who need a Shopify expert)
- Demographic focus (e.g., 25-35 year old moms in NYC)
- Psychographic focus (e.g., Terry Pratchett fans)
How to pick the right niche is a story for another day. For now, know that “picking a vertical” is just one way to do it.
Yours,
—J