Market Map Template
The sovereign's orb: the whole world held in one hand.
Chart the demand in your niche, the gaps in it, and the offer that fills them.
Draw the map before you pick the road
Most offers are built from what the founder likes to deliver. Offers that sell are built from what a market is already trying to buy and not finding. This template walks you from demand, to the gaps in it, to the one offer that fills the biggest gap. Give it two focused hours.
Define the market in one line
[Who] who want [result] but are stuck on [problem], and already spend money on [current fixes]…Step 1 · Measure the demand
Look for proof that people are already searching, asking and paying. Note what you find, not what you assume.
| Source | What to look for | What it tells you | Your notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search (keyword tools, autocomplete) | Phrases with "how to", "best", "cost", "near me" | The words buyers use and how many use them | |
| Forums, Reddit, groups | Repeated questions and complaints | Pains in their own words | |
| Ad libraries | Ads that have run for months | Offers that are probably paying for themselves | |
| Marketplaces and course platforms | Best sellers and their review counts | What people already pay for, and at what price | |
| Reviews of competitors | 2 and 3 star reviews | What buyers wanted and did not get | |
| Your own calls, DMs, inbox | Questions asked before buying | The real objections and desires |
Step 2 · Place the players
Put every competitor you found on two axes: how much they do for the buyer, and how much they charge. Empty quadrants are the first clue to a gap.
| Buyer does the work | Done for the buyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Premium price | ||
| Low price |
Run the same grid on a second pair of axes that matters in your niche, for example speed vs depth, or general vs specialist.
| Competitor | Core promise | Price | Format | Who they serve best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Step 3 · Mine the complaints
Unhappy buyers of other offers are describing your product for you. Collect at least twenty complaints, then group them.
| Complaint, in their words | How often | Who says it | Gap it reveals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example: "Great content but I never finished it" | Often | Busy owners | Needs done-with-you accountability |
| Example: "Generic, not made for my industry" | Often | Specialists | Niche-specific version |
Step 4 · Score the gaps
Rate each gap from 1 to 5 on four questions. The highest total is where you build.
| Gap | Pain: how much does it hurt? | Money: do they pay to fix it now? | Reach: can you find them cheaply? | Open: is nobody doing it well? | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A gap with high pain but low money is a content topic, not an offer. A gap with high money but no reach will be expensive to sell.
Step 5 · Write the offer that fills it
The gap
The market wants [result] but every option today [falls short how]…Your position
The only [category] built for [specific who] that [key difference]…The offer
[Result] in [timeframe] through [format], for [price range]…The first test
I will validate it by [pre-sale / waitlist / ad test] with [number] buyers by [date]…Check the map
- Every demand claim on the map has a source written next to it.
- You can name at least three competitors and what each does well.
- Your chosen gap came from complaints, not from your preferences.
- The offer could be explained to a buyer in one sentence.
- You know the first place you will find twenty of these buyers.
Want this built for you instead of by you?
Return to the vault