The mistake most new entrepreneurs make is trying to reach more people. It makes sense. If more people see it, more people will want it.

But that’s not how ideas spread. That’s not how products grow. And it’s not how something becomes meaningful.

The phrase “Smallest Viable Audience” or SVA was coined by the famous marketer, Seth Godin. His purpose was to push against the instinct to reach out to everyone. It doesn’t mean small for the sake of being small. It means finding the smallest group of people for whom your idea makes immediate sense.

Not because you convinced them. Because it already fits what they do.

Start With Behavior, Not People

Most people begin by describing an audience. They say things like:

young professionals
college students
people who care about health

None of those are useful. They are labels, not behavior. A real audience is defined by what they do.

If you watch closely, behavior shows up everywhere:

how people spend their time
what they choose
what they repeat
what they talk about

The SVA is not defined by demographics. It is defined by a pattern of behavior that already exists. If the behavior isn’t real, the audience isn’t either.

The Three Layers That Reveal the Audience

To find that behavior clearly, you look at three things:

what people are already doing
how they choose between options
what they feel strongly enough to talk about

These are not abstract ideas. They show up in real life. A strong offering fits into all three.

1. What People Already Do

This is where everything begins. If your idea requires people to change their behavior, it is not ready. The right idea fits into something that is already happening.

Take SoulCycle, a boutique fitness company that offers high-energy indoor cycling classes built around music and a shared group experience. It creates an immersive environment where people ride together in a dark room, guided by an instructor.

People were already:

working out
attending fitness classes
looking for structure in their routines

SoulCycle recognized an existing behavior and built around it.

2. How People Choose

People are always choosing between options. They are not deciding in a vacuum. They are comparing.

The question is not “Is this good?” The question is: “Why would someone choose this instead of what they already do?”

Look at Warby Parker, a direct-to-consumer eyewear company offering prescription glasses and sunglasses online and in select stores. It simplified the buying process with home try-on kits, clear pricing, and a smooth path to purchase that matches how people shop.

People were already buying glasses. That behavior existed. The difference was in how they chose:

avoiding expensive retail stores
wanting convenience
wanting a simpler process

Warby Parker saw the existing need and changed how people choose to meet it.

3. What People Feel Strongly Enough to Share

This is where most ideas fall apart. People assume that if something is good, it will spread.

It doesn’t.

People talk about things that catch them off guard and create a reaction that drives them to share.

That reaction must happen every time.

Look at In-N-Out Burger. People don’t just eat there.

Something happens every time:

someone orders from the “secret menu”
someone explains what “Animal Style” means
someone brings a friend who has never tried it

There is always a moment of communication.

“Have you tried this?”
“You have to order it this way.”

That reaction comes from the experience itself. It is part of how it works and how people engage with it.

The menu is intentionally simple, but layered with insider knowledge. That creates a gap between people who know and people who don’t. That gap creates conversation.

And that conversation spreads the brand.

People talk about In-N-Out because the experience creates a moment where sharing feels natural and almost expected.

The Audience Reveals Itself Through Behavior

Once you understand these three layers, something changes.

You stop asking: “Who do I want to sell to?”

And you start asking: “Who already behaves in a way that makes this obvious?”

The audience is revealed through real behavior.

Most people stop to early. They find a group that fits and stop. That’s where the real work begins. Now you have to ask: “Who within this group actually cares?”

Not: who participates

But: who is invested

To say it another way: “Fit tells you who could use it. Depth tells you who will sustain it.”

Because the SVA is not just a group that fits. It is a group that cares deeply. Yet, what does “cares deeply” actually mean? It’s not an emotion in a vague sense.

Instead, you can see it show up in behavior:

they choose it again and again
they talk about it without being asked
they bring others into it
they organize their time around it

There is one question that forces this way of thinking: “Who would be disappointed if this product didn’t exist?”

When the answer feels weak, it means you stopped too early.

A strong and specific answer shows you found your SVA.

Interest Is Not Enough

There are always three levels:

people who do something casually
people who do it regularly
people who build part of their identity around it

Only one of these sustains an idea.

Take Peloton, a fitness company that pairs connected equipment with live and on-demand classes. It enables people to train at home while staying engaged in a structured experience that builds routine and a sense of identity.

Many people: exercise occasionally

Some people: follow structured fitness routines

But a smaller group:

schedules their day around workouts
talks about it
invests in it
brings others into it

That group engages and builds the behavior with each interaction. That is where growth begins.

What Passion Looks Like

You can recognize this group by what they do over time. They keep coming back, talk about it with others, and involve people around them.

Look at LEGO, a company that produces interlocking plastic bricks that allow people to build and create their own designs. While it began as a simple toy, it has grown into a platform where people of all ages build, customize, share creations, and often develop a strong identity around being a builder.

There are people who buy LEGO sets. And then there are people who:

build custom designs
share them online
attend events
identify as builders

The second group sustains the brand. They are already committed and continue to show up.

Where They Show Up

A real audience is not hidden. They appear in physical locations like gyms or cafés. They also show up in digital environments like subreddits or comment sections.

If you cannot point to where they are, the audience is not defined yet. You should be able to observe them in real environments.

Two simple questions reveal everything:

“When was the last time I saw this behavior happen?”
“Where could I find five people like this today?”

Not being able to answer both means you are still guessing.

Why Small Wins

A small, passionate audience does something a large, passive one never will.

It sustains.

Look at Glossier, a direct-to-consumer beauty company that focuses on simple, everyday products designed to fit into people’s existing routines. It grew by building a strong relationship with its audience, where customers share their routines, preferences, and results, often making the brand part of how they express and talk about their personal identity.

It didn’t start by reaching everyone. It started with people who: