Your growth is capped by your TAM.
More than they realize, most DTC brands are limited by their TAM (Total Addressable Market)
A good, niched-down product can get you a good start, but eventually, it gets capped.
Startups rarely grow their market.
Most tap into existing demand.
Eventually, you need to change your product to align with a new market or bigger opportunity.
So either you need to find new ways to increase your LTV or find ways to increase TAM.
Most famous consumer brands are high TAM and low average order but high LTV (if you take years). Think coke, or Oreos.
Most famous DTC brands are High TAM and low LTV businesses. Think Warby Parker, or Gymshark.
You can build a successful brand in Low TAM, but you would need to have a high LTV to support it.
So if you are niched out, add other categories or products, add services to sell to the same audience.
Mostly with platforms that can reach millions, you will outrun your TAM in 1-2 years of existence.
Then increasing LTV remains the only way to grow.
Lastly, don’t get stuck in the dead zone of Low LTV & Low TAM.
That’s where most brands start with high-niche, low-ticket products.
Understanding your TAM and potential LTV is really important to grow profitably.
One email a week on subscription retention: the numbers, the strategy, and what to fix first.
Rahi Jain
Rahi Jain is a subscription LTV specialist who helps DTC brands maximize their LTV from subscriptions.
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