×

JOIN in 3 Steps

1 RSVP and Join The Founders Meeting
2 Apply
3 Start The Journey with us!
+1(310) 574-2495
Mo-Fr 9-5pm Pacific Time
  • LANGUAGES
    • English English
    • Italiano Italiano
  • SUPPORT

M Accelerator

M Accelerator

Explore, Engage, Evolve

T +1 (310) 574-2495
Email: info@maccelerator.la

M ACCELERATOR
824 S. Los Angeles St #400 Los Angeles CA 90014

  • WHAT WE DO
    • BUSINESS STUDIO
      • Scale Up in the USAonline
      • Startup Program (post MVP)online
      • Founders Studioonline
    • Altri Programmi
      • Strategic Persuasion Workshoponline
      • Reg D Fundraising
      • Business Innovationonline
      • web3 nexusonline
      • Hackathononline
  • COMMUNITY
    • Our Approach
    • STARTUPS
    • COACH & MENTOR
    • PARTNERS
    • STORIE
    • TEAM
  • BLOG
  • EVENTI
JOIN US
  • Home
  • blog
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Why Chasing Big Clients Could Be the Death of Your Startup: The Hidden Power of Smaller, Consistent Wins

Why Chasing Big Clients Could Be the Death of Your Startup: The Hidden Power of Smaller, Consistent Wins

m-accelerator
mercoledì, 25 Settembre 2024 / Published in Entrepreneurship

Why Chasing Big Clients Could Be the Death of Your Startup: The Hidden Power of Smaller, Consistent Wins

a group of people sitting around a table

Many startups fall into the trap of pursuing massive clients or high-profile projects, believing that landing one big deal will propel their business to success. However, this strategy often leads to inefficiency, burnout, and financial strain. 

Instead of chasing after large accounts, startups can achieve more sustainable growth by focusing on smaller, consistent wins. These smaller victories help validate the business model, prove scalability, and ultimately create the foundation for long-term success. 

This article explores why prioritizing smaller, scalable opportunities could be the key to unlocking your startup’s potential.

The Importance of Prioritizing the Right Opportunities

In the early stages of building a business, it can be tempting to go after big-name clients or major market opportunities. However, this approach can be risky if the startup has yet to prove its ability to deliver consistent, predictable results. Instead, focusing on smaller, more targeted clients can offer the much-needed validation and scalability that are essential for early growth.

For example, instead of targeting a large market segment that requires significant upfront investment, consider breaking it down into smaller, manageable groups. This way, the business can gather valuable insights while refining its product or service offering. These smaller wins are not only easier to manage but also allow startups to demonstrate that they can replicate success across multiple clients, setting the stage for future growth.

The Strategic Approach – From Desirability to Viability

Startups often overlook the importance of moving through the three crucial stages of growth: desirability, feasibility, and viability. Understanding this framework can be transformative for businesses, especially in the early stages.

– Desirability: First, it’s critical to ensure there is a demand for what the business offers. By working with smaller groups, businesses can test whether there is genuine interest in their product or service. If people aren’t excited about your solution on a small scale, expanding it won’t solve the problem.

– Feasibility: Once desirability is proven, the next step is to confirm that the product or service can be delivered efficiently. This means optimizing systems and processes to ensure scalability without overwhelming resources.

– Viability: Finally, the focus turns to profitability. Can the startup make money from this model once it’s validated? Profitability shouldn’t be the initial priority, but it becomes a critical factor once desirability and feasibility have been established.

Startups that jump too quickly to viability—focusing on generating revenue without first confirming desirability and feasibility—often struggle to maintain growth.

Practical Steps for Startups to Shift Focus to Smaller Wins

1. Target Smaller, Focused Clients: Instead of casting a wide net, narrow your focus to a specific group of potential clients. These smaller clients will allow you to refine your approach and gather meaningful feedback.

2. Conduct Low-Cost Tests: Start by testing your solution with minimal investment. This could involve offering your service or product to a small group to see if it solves their problem effectively. A lower upfront investment allows you to pivot quickly if needed.

3. Iterate Based on Feedback: Use the feedback from these smaller wins to fine-tune your solution. Don’t worry about achieving perfection in the beginning. The goal is to learn quickly and iterate on the product.

4. Scale Gradually: Once you’ve proven that you can consistently deliver results on a small scale, start scaling your operations. Only then should you consider approaching larger clients or expanding to bigger markets.

Case Study: How Small Wins Lead to Big Success

A notable example of the power of smaller, consistent wins comes from a retail entrepreneur who saved a company millions by identifying the real issue behind a client’s problem. 

Rather than competing with other vendors on price for a large retail contract, they focused on solving an operational inefficiency that was costing the retailer millions in waste. By addressing the root issue, they not only secured the contract but also saved the retailer $22 million.

This example illustrates the importance of understanding your clients’ true pain points, even if you’re operating on a smaller scale. Solving the right problem can make a significant difference, and often, smaller clients provide the flexibility to explore and validate these solutions before scaling up.

In another case, instead of pursuing a large market segment that required complex licensing and compliance, a startup pivoted to working with smaller nonprofit organizations that provided services to underserved communities. 

This allowed them to launch quickly, prove their system worked, and start generating revenue without the extensive overhead of larger projects.

Essential Tools and Resources for Implementing This Strategy

To successfully execute this strategy and focus on smaller, scalable wins, startups can leverage a variety of tools:

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools: Tools like HubSpot and Salesforce allow you to manage relationships with small clients effectively and scale your efforts as you grow.

2. Lean Startup Methodology: Books like The Lean Startup by Eric Ries provide valuable insights into building MVPs (minimum viable products) and testing them with small market segments before expanding.

3. Financial Tracking Software: Use platforms like Xero or QuickBooks to keep track of costs, ensuring that you stay on top of customer acquisition expenses and profitability as you scale.

4. Third-Party Licensing Solutions: If your business operates in a highly regulated industry like fintech, consider using third-party licensing platforms that can help you avoid costly and time-consuming compliance processes, allowing you to focus on validating your business model.

Why Chasing Big Clients Could Be the Death of Your Startup: The Hidden Power of Smaller, Consistent Wins - Why Chasing Big Clients Could Be the Death of Your Startup The Hidden Power of Smaller Consistent Wins

Focusing on Consistent Wins for Sustainable Growth

Focusing on smaller, consistent wins provides startups with the validation they need to scale successfully. This approach not only reduces the risk of failure but also helps refine your product or service offering based on real-world feedback. 

As you begin to achieve these smaller victories, you will be better equipped to approach larger opportunities with confidence, having already proven that your business can deliver consistent, predictable results.

If you’re looking to connect with other founders and access resources that will help you grow sustainably, consider joining a network of like-minded entrepreneurs. The path to long-term success is often built on the foundation of smaller, smarter decisions—and with the right support, your startup can thrive.

What you can read next

How do Entrepreneurs stay motivated?
education skills
Skills for education
Streamyard
Streamyard – Customer-Driven Product Development

Recent Posts

  • Decoding the Competition: A Founder's Guide to Validation and Strategy

    Decoding the Competition: A Founder’s Guide to Validation and Strategy

    Learn how to leverage competitor analysis to va...
  • Powering Up: Strategic Alliances as a Catalyst for Startup Scaling

    Powering Up: Strategic Alliances as a Catalyst for Startup Scaling

    Explore how strategic alliances can accelerate ...
  • iterative product development

    iterative product development

    Explore how iterative product development enhan...
  • Audience Segmentation Technics

    Audience Segmentation Technics

    Learn how audience segmentation can enhance mar...
  • Dispute Resolution Clauses in Startup Partnerships

    Dispute Resolution Clauses in Startup Partnerships

    Learn how tailored dispute resolution clauses c...

Categories

  • Alumni Spotlight
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Entrepreneurship Program
  • Events
  • Freelance
  • Los Angeles
  • Networking
  • news
  • News
  • The School of Entrepreneurship
  • Tips sul Bando Torno Subito 2021
  • torno subito
  • Venture Capital

connect with us

Subscribe to the Founders’ Newsletter

    Built with Kit

    Online Programs

    Early-Stage Startup

    Global Entrepreneurship

    Business Innovation

    Strategic Persuasion

    Growth-Stage Startup

     Stripe Climate member

    Network & Investment

    Regulation D

    Events

    Startups

    Blog

    Partners

    Team

    Coaches and Mentors

    Our Approach

    The Studio Framework

    • DISCLAIMER
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • LEGAL
    • GET SOCIAL

    © 2025 MEDIARS LLC. All rights reserved.

    TOP

    Receive our Insights

    For founders who value learning, self-improvement, and leadership, we deliver insights to help you thrive in every stage of your journey.
    ​

    What you’ll get:

    • Proven strategies for pitching, sales, and scaling your business.
    • Trends and opportunities from the startup ecosystem.
    • Inspiring content to build your leadership skills and grow your business.

    Believe in your potential. Let’s grow together

      We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
      Built with Kit
      Add new entry logo

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More

      In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link Do Not Sell My Personal Information

      Accept Decline Cookie Settings
      Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
      • Always Active
        Necessary
        Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

      • Marketing
        Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.

      • Analytics
        Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.

      • Preferences
        Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.

      • Unclassified
        Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.

      Powered by WP Cookie consent
      Cookie Settings

      Do you really wish to opt-out?

      Powered by WP Cookie consent