

TDC 047: Who Are You Really Building For? The 100,000, The 100, or "The One?"
#047: Who Are You Really Building For: The 100,000, The 100, or The One?
Are you diluting your message by trying to please everyone instead of focusing on your ideal customer?
Episode Summary
In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque explores the strategic dilemma of who entrepreneurs should truly optimize their business for.
You'll learn why chasing scale often leads to diluted messaging, how focusing on "The One" ideal customer creates authentic resonance, and discover why bestselling authors write for specific real people rather than abstract audiences.
Question of the Day π£οΈ
Who is the one person in your business or life that you're truly building for?
Key Take-aways
- When you optimize for scale (the 100,000), you often end up building for the lowest common denominator.
- The 100 who engage most frequently may not represent your ideal customer who drives your business forward.
- Building for "The One" real person creates clarity, focus, and paradoxically helps you reach more people.
- The best books and businesses are designed for specific individuals, not abstract customer avatars.
Timestamped Outline β±οΈ
00:00 β The scale trap: Optimizing for the wrong audience
00:37 β An inbox overflowing with thoughtful replies
01:48 β The tension: Scale vs. depth in business
02:19 β Three audience options: 100,000, 100, or The One
03:49 β Who is "The One" in my business?
04:32 β The danger of optimizing for algorithms
06:32 β Centering your business around The One
07:51 β How focusing on depth helps you reach more people
09:10 β A call to reflection: Who is your One?
Links & Resources π
- Issue 046 of The Digital Contrarian β "Three Converging Forces Reshaping Our World" β https://ryanlevesque.net/brace-for-impact/
- Issue 021 of The Digital Contrarian β "The Life-Changing Magic of Strategic Obsession" β https://ryanlevesque.net/strategic-obsession-business-transformation
- Subscribe to The Digital Contrarian newsletter β https://thedigitalcontrarian.com
Next Steps & Subscribe π
π Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
π Join 100,000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend:
https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/
Credits
Host: Ryan Levesque
Β© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.