The two paths to building a signature business (only one works)
Why New Business Models Matter (And Why Most Get Them Wrong)
Since I started the SAVVY Foundation, I've been obsessing over new business models. IP. Product logic. Funnels. Scalable offerings. Everyone's talking about them — and IMHO, for good reason.
Because without new models? Building a Signature Business is almost impossible.
The old model — time for money, custom work, endless projects — caps you. Hard. By your capacity. Your energy. What clients will pay per hour. New models unlock something different.
But here's the thing I keep seeing: Most founders approach them completely wrong. And end up trapped in the exact same boxes they were trying to escape.
The Two Paths
When people think about "new business models," they usually go one of two ways:
PATH 1: Market-First
Audit what clients have been asking for. Systematize it into a clean matrix. Calculate the profit potential. Package it up.
The logic: "What does the market want? Let me productize that."
Sounds smart. Sounds strategic.
But there's a problem.
Why Market-First Keeps You Stuck
When you start with "What have clients been asking for?" — you're building from the past. You're productizing existing demand. Packaging solutions to problems clients already recognize.
But client requests repeat the familiar.
They ask for what they know. What they've seen before.
"We need a rebrand."
"Can you run a strategy workshop?"
"We want storytelling."
Those requests don't lead to innovation. They lead to slight variationsof what already exists. You end up with "a productized version of what I was already doing." Not something new. Not something yours.
And here's the truth: Productized commodity is still commodity. It might scale a bit better. But you're still competing in the same crowded space.
The Other Way (The One I Actually Believe In)
There's a different path. And it's harder. And most people won't take it. You start with: What is the value I want to bring into the world? Not "What have clients been asking for?"
But:
Who am I — really? What can I do extraordinarily well? What do I want to contribute? What feels like my actual task here?
This isn't a weekend exercise. It requires going deep. Confronting what you're actually obsessed with. What energizes vs. depletes you. What you'd do even if no one was paying.
And then — only then — you design something. Something that reflects your specific value. Your perspective. Your way of seeing problems no one else sees.
Yes, it needs a market with energy. I'm not saying ignore demand. That's naive. But the innovation doesn't come from the market. It comes from you.
What This Looks Like
Example 1: The Storytelling Creative
Market-First: "Clients keep asking for brand storytelling → I'll create a 6-week Brand Story Workshop" Result: Another storytelling workshop (like 50 others)
Value-First: "What stories fascinate me? → Founder origin stories — the messy, human parts brands hide → I only tell Founder Truth Stories through long-form video" Result: Something distinct. A signature approach.
Example 2: The Org Transformation Specialist
Market-First: "Clients want change management → I'll offer a 3-month transformation program" Result: Undifferentiated
Value-First: "Where do I create most value? → Family businesses transitioning to next-gen leadership → I only work with family businesses blending legacy with radical change" Result: A signature niche. Not "transformation consulting" — but "Next-Gen Transition for Family Businesses."
The difference?
Market-first = productized version of what exists. Value-first = something new, specific, unmistakably yours.
Why This Is Hard (And Why Most Won't Do It)
Taking the value-first path requires things most founders resist:
Real self-knowledge. Not "I'm good at strategy" — but "I'm obsessed with this specific thing and I can't stop thinking about it."
Letting go. Your past projects don't have to define your future. You're allowed to say: "That's not what I want to build anymore."
Getting specific. "I only work with X" feels terrifying. What if you're leaving money on the table? (You're not. You're finally building something that compounds.)
Time. You can't rush this. Innovation doesn't come from a Friday afternoon brainstorm.
Trust. That if you build something true, the right market will find it.
Most people won't do this. They'll take the safer path. Audit past work. Productize what clients ask for. And wonder why it still feels... meh.
But Here's What Happens When You Go Value-First
You build something:
Unmistakably yours
Impossible to compare
That energizes you (instead of draining you)
That commands premium pricing (because it's irreplaceable)
That's Strategic Coherence. Not bending to what the market's been asking for. But standing for what you bring — and building a model around that.
So Which Path Are You On?
Are you auditing past projects and productizing client requests? Or are you going deeper — asking what value you uniquely want to bring?
Because I don't think 2026 is going to reward "productized commodity." I think it's going to reward coherence. Between who you are and what you build. And that doesn't start with the market. It starts with you.
Warmly,
