# Phase 2: Niche -- Convergence & Scoring

> **Goal:** Take your raw niche ideas from Phase 1 and ruthlessly score, filter, and rank them. You will leave this phase with a Gold niche pick -- the one you're going to build around.
>
> **Key principle:** Niche = Person + Problem + Promise. If you can't name the person, articulate the problem, and state the promise in under 10 words, the idea isn't sharp enough yet.
>
> **Source frameworks:** Taki Moore 3-Question Score, Hormozi 4-Criteria Score, Premium Market Check, Low-Status Test

---

## 1. Structured Niche Ideas

> **For each promising idea from Phase 1, force it into the Person / Problem / Promise structure.** Be specific. "Small business owners" is too vague. "Solo accountants with 50-200 clients who spend 15+ hours/week on bookkeeping" is sharp.

### Idea A: [short name]

- **Person:** [Who specifically? Demographics, role, situation. Can you name 3 real people you know with this problem?]
  - Name 1: [placeholder]
  - Name 2: [placeholder]
  - Name 3: [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [What exactly? Why is it painful? What have they tried that failed?]
- **Promise:** [In under 10 words, what transformation do you deliver?]

### Idea B: [short name]

- **Person:** [placeholder]
  - Name 1: [placeholder]
  - Name 2: [placeholder]
  - Name 3: [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]

### Idea C: [short name]

- **Person:** [placeholder]
  - Name 1: [placeholder]
  - Name 2: [placeholder]
  - Name 3: [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]

### Idea D: [short name]

- **Person:** [placeholder]
  - Name 1: [placeholder]
  - Name 2: [placeholder]
  - Name 3: [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]

### Idea E: [short name]

- **Person:** [placeholder]
  - Name 1: [placeholder]
  - Name 2: [placeholder]
  - Name 3: [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]

---

## 2. Taki Moore 3-Question Score

> **A fast gut-check filter.** Rate each idea Red (R), Yellow (Y), or Green (G).
>
> - **Like:** "Do I genuinely like the idea of working with these people day after day?" Red = dread it, Yellow = it's fine, Green = I'd enjoy it.
> - **Help:** "Can I actually help them? Do I have the skills or could I develop them quickly?" Red = no clue, Yellow = with effort, Green = already capable.
> - **Pay:** "Will they happily pay at least $2,000 for this?" Red = unlikely, Yellow = maybe with convincing, Green = they'd pay more.
>
> **Rule of thumb:** Any idea with a Red on "Pay" is probably dead. Two Reds = definitely dead.

| Idea | Like | Help | Pay | Overall |
|------|:----:|:----:|:---:|:-------:|
| A: [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Pass/Fail] |
| B: [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Pass/Fail] |
| C: [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Pass/Fail] |
| D: [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Pass/Fail] |
| E: [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Pass/Fail] |

**Ideas that survived (no double-Reds, no Red on Pay):** [placeholder]

---

## 3. Hormozi 4-Criteria Score

> **A deeper market viability check.** For each surviving idea, score Red / Yellow / Green on these four criteria from Hormozi's framework.
>
> - **Painful:** "Is this problem painful enough that they actively seek solutions? Or is it a mild annoyance they live with?" Red = mild inconvenience, Yellow = noticeable pain, Green = keeping them up at night.
> - **Purchasing Power:** "Does this person have money to spend on solving this? Are they a business (B2B) or a consumer (B2C)?" Red = broke segment, Yellow = has some budget, Green = money is not the obstacle.
> - **Targetable:** "Can I find and reach these people? Are they in specific communities, job titles, industries?" Red = scattered/hidden, Yellow = findable with effort, Green = concentrated and easy to reach.
> - **Growing:** "Is this market expanding? Are more people entering this situation over time?" Red = shrinking, Yellow = stable, Green = growing (AI trends, demographic shifts, industry changes).
>
> **Sweet spot:** All Green or three Green + one Yellow. Two or more Reds = move on.

| Idea | Painful | Purchasing Power | Targetable | Growing | Overall |
|------|:-------:|:----------------:|:----------:|:-------:|:-------:|
| [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| [name] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [R/Y/G] | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |

---

## 4. Low-Status Business Test

> **From the $1M business framework.** The best businesses often sound boring to outsiders. If your idea sounds "sexy" or "impressive" at dinner parties, that's actually a warning sign -- it means lots of people will compete with you.
>
> **The test:** "Tell your grandma you're doing this."
> - If she says "Oh wow, that's so cool!" = BAD sign (too sexy, too much competition)
> - If she says "Oh... good for you, dear" = GOOD sign (boring to outsiders, but viable)

| Idea | Grandma Reaction | Pass? |
|------|-----------------|:-----:|
| [name] | [placeholder] | [Y/N] |
| [name] | [placeholder] | [Y/N] |
| [name] | [placeholder] | [Y/N] |

---

## 5. Premium Market Check

> **From the money_online framework.** The market splits into three tiers. You want the 9% -- the premium segment. The 90% mass market is brutal (race to the bottom on price). The 1% luxury tier requires pedigree and connections.
>
> ```
> 90% -- Mass market (hard mode, price-sensitive, high volume needed)
>  9% -- Premium (sweet spot: will pay for quality, values expertise)
>  1% -- Luxury (requires brand cachet and connections)
> ```
>
> **Key question:** "Could I find a RICHER subset of this audience?"
> *Example: "Helping students study better" (mass market) vs. "Helping Chinese parents prepare kids for US medical school admissions" (premium subset with high willingness to pay).*

| Idea | Current Tier | Richer Subset? | Adjusted Idea |
|------|:------------:|----------------|---------------|
| [name] | [90%/9%/1%] | [placeholder] | [placeholder] |
| [name] | [90%/9%/1%] | [placeholder] | [placeholder] |
| [name] | [90%/9%/1%] | [placeholder] | [placeholder] |

---

## 6. Journaling Prompts (Tie-Breakers)

> **When the scores are close, use these prompts to listen to your gut.** Write freely -- don't overthink. The right answer often feels obvious once you start writing.

### The 2-Year Test
> "Which of these could I see myself doing for 2-3 years, even if growth is slow at first?"

[placeholder -- write freely]

### The No-Fail Scenario
> "If success was 100% guaranteed, which one would I choose?"

[placeholder -- write freely]

### The Identity Check
> "Which one aligns with the person I want to become?"

[placeholder -- write freely]

### The Fear Check
> "Which one scares me a little bit -- in a good way? That nervous excitement means there's growth there."

[placeholder -- write freely]

---

## 7. Final Picks

> **Rank your top ideas. Gold = your primary focus. Silver = strong backup. Bronze = worth revisiting later.**

### Gold Niche (Primary)

- **Idea:** [name]
- **Person:** [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]
- **Why this one?** [placeholder]

### Silver Niche (Backup)

- **Idea:** [name]
- **Person:** [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]
- **Why backup?** [placeholder]

### Bronze Niche (Future)

- **Idea:** [name]
- **Person:** [placeholder]
- **Problem:** [placeholder]
- **Promise:** [placeholder]
- **Why keep it?** [placeholder]

---

## Score Summary Table

| Idea | Taki (L/H/P) | Hormozi (P/$/T/G) | Low-Status | Premium Tier | Final Rank |
|------|:-------------:|:------------------:|:----------:|:------------:|:----------:|
| [name] | [G/G/G] | [G/G/G/G] | [Pass] | [9%] | Gold |
| [name] | [G/G/Y] | [G/Y/G/G] | [Pass] | [9%] | Silver |
| [name] | [G/Y/Y] | [Y/G/Y/G] | [Pass] | [90%] | Bronze |