Lena Baudo

Many startups fail not because of bad products, but because decisions are made without real market validation. Understanding demand, competition, and risk early can prevent costly mistakes.

Accelerator programs help startups move fast, but many leave without clear market answers. This article explores how market readiness breaks and how to strengthen it.

Why choosing the largest market is a strategic error Every leadership team loves a good slide that shows a billion-dollar opportunity. A total addressable market (TAM) that signals scale, ambition, and investor appeal. But that slide usually hides a blind spot: you don’t win markets because they’re big. You win because you’re relevant to a defined group of buyers. Market size says nothing about entry barriers, differentiation, or customer motivation. Yet those are the variables that decide...