Good Morning!

I just finished reading Sell Like Crazy by Sabri Suby.

An interesting read that had an insight I wanted to share with you: The Larger Market Formula.

Here's the breakdown.

P.S. You can get the 5-step guide to building a brand operating system at the Lucid website

The Larger Market Formula

At any given moment, your market breaks into four categories:

3% - Buying Now

These people are actively searching. Credit card ready. They know what they need, and they're comparing options right now.

Example: Someone Googling "best project management software" with the intent to buy this week.

This is the smallest segment. Every company and its mom competes here. (Then wonder why customer acquisition costs are so high). Don’t get me wrong here, there is always time and place fo meeting a potential customer where they’re at when they’re ready to buy.

17% - Information Gathering Mode

These people know they have a problem and they're researching solutions. They're reading articles, watching videos, asking for recommendations.

But they're not ready to buy yet. They're learning.

Example: Reading "Asana vs. Monday vs. ClickUp comparison" or "Do I need project management software?"

They're typically 3-6 months out from buying, and that’s okay

20% - Problem Aware

These people feel the pain, but they haven't started looking for solutions yet. They know something's wrong but don't know what's possible or where to start.

Example: Teams missing deadlines and losing track of projects, but haven't searched for tools yet.

They're 6-12 months out from buying.

60% - Not Problem Aware

These people don't even know they have a problem. They're living with the pain as "normal." They think it's just how work works.

Example: Teams using email threads and Slack chaos thinking, "this is just how collaboration is."

They're 12+ months out from buying.

Here's the Issue

Most founders build their entire marketing strategy around the 3%.

Every post, every ad, every email says: "Buy now. Book a call. Limited spots available."

That works for the 3% ready to buy today.

But what about the other 97%?

They see your pitch and think: "Not for me. I'm not ready."

Then six months later, when they are ready?

They don't remember you.

They buy from whoever's in front of them at that moment.

How To Think Differently

HubSpot doesn't just target the 3%.

They create content and messaging for all four layers:

For the 60%: "Is your sales process actually broken?" (makes them problem-aware)

For the 20%: "Why most sales processes fail and what works instead" (educates on solutions)

For the 17%: "The complete guide to choosing a CRM" (helps them evaluate)

For the 3%: "See how HubSpot works for teams like yours with a demo" (easy next step)

By the time someone's ready to buy, they've spent months learning from HubSpot.

They're not comparing features. They're already sold on the approach.

That's a $30B company built on educating the 97%.

So What’s The Point Here?

Most founders think: “Buy from me, now!” and gear ads, messaging, and everything else to “Buy now!” or, even worse, continually discount, thus cutting margins and squeezing the business.

The new way of thinking: Build systems that shoot people up the pyramid

When you create content/messaging for all four layers:

• The 60% become problem-aware
• The 20% start researching solutions
• The 17% learn your framework
• The 3% buy from you (not a competitor)

You stop competing and start organically compounding with each piece of messaging, content, ad, email, etc. that goes out.

Remember, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.  

• Make the unaware become aware, in interesting ways.
• Educate the aware on new solutions.
• Helps others achieve a win, win, win psychologically.
• Converts buyers when they're ready.

That's how you stop chasing the 3% and start shooting the other 97% through your funnel.

See how we build it: lucidcreative.io

Sean + Aly
Lucid Creative Co.

P.S. One framework from one book changed how I think about brand building. If your content only talks to people ready to buy today, you're leaving 97% of your market on the table.

‍