You Don’t Need 100 Clients — Just the Right 10
The Mid-Year Wake-Up Call
A Bain & Company study found that just a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25% to 95% boost in profit.
Let that sink in.
Yet most businesses — especially at mid-year panic point — shift into full-on acquisition mode. More campaigns, more offers, more leads.
But here’s the question I keep asking clients and founders I work with:
What if more isn’t the answer? What if better is?
What the Research Really Says
Harvard Business Review put it bluntly in a piece on market segmentation:
"Companies fail because they chase too many customers with too few real insights." (HBR – Rediscovering Market Segmentation)
The article explains that traditional segmentation (by gender, income, age) often leads to vague messaging and diluted offerings. Instead, behavior-based segmentation — how clients interact, buy, renew, refer — is what actually drives profitable strategy.
And honestly? I see this all the time. Companies chasing “everyone” end up resonating with no one. They get caught in a loop of shallow leads, scattered messaging, and short-term wins. But the ones who slow down, study their actual best-fit clients, and build around them — they win smarter, longer.
Real-World Case Studies That Prove the Point
-> Basecamp: Growth by Subtraction
When 37signals rebranded to Basecamp, they deliberately cut products, reduced complexity, and focused on their core offering: simple project management.
“We chose depth over breadth. We wanted to do one thing really well.” — Basecamp
Their revenue didn’t tank — it grew. Their clarity became a moat. And honestly? I love that. Not every business needs 10 verticals and an endless roadmap.
-> Shopify: Built for the Niche First
Shopify didn’t launch as a platform for everyone. It started small — focused on independent creators and niche online sellers.
Their strategy? Help one group succeed incredibly well before scaling. They even published research showing niche markets outperform broad ones in customer loyalty and LTV. (Shopify Blog: Find a Niche)
-> Superhuman: Invite-Only and Ruthless Fit
Superhuman (the premium email app) refused to launch until they found product-market fit. They used a method by Sean Ellis:
Ask early users “How disappointed would you be if you could no longer use this?” They only launched once over 40% said ‘very disappointed’ — the benchmark for PMF.
They didn’t chase everyone. They chased the right ones. (Superhuman’s Product-Market Fit Survey)
I honestly admire this discipline. It’s tempting to throw your product to the world — but bold businesses test fit before they scale.
Mid-Year Moves to Refocus (Without Burning Out)
If you're a founder, consultant, or growing business, try these by June 30:
Run a client audit Who are your top 10%? What do they buy, ask, love? Build more for them.
Niche your offer (even if temporarily) Go narrow to go deep. You can always expand later — but depth is what scales sustainably.
Double down on client experience Retention beats attraction. Repeat clients are cheaper, easier, and far more profitable.
Final Thought
You don’t need 100 clients. You need the right 10. The ones who believe in your work, stick with you, refer others, and grow with you.
I’m still learning this lesson myself — I used to say yes to everything. Now, I focus on alignment over expansion. And it’s not just healthier… it’s smarter.
What about you? What are you doubling down on for the second half of 2025?
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