Mind the Gap: Build What You Wish Existed
The best niches aren’t found in research — they’re felt in your life.
If there is one mantra I could tattoo on the inside of every aspiring entrepreneur's mind, it would be this:
Mind the Gap.
Not the train platform warning in London. But the silent market signal that whispers, "There is a need here... and no one is serving it."
Too many people begin their business journeys looking outside—for hot trends, profitable niches, viral business models. But real opportunity begins when you look within.
Let me explain.
The Market Gap is a Mirror
Every product you see around you was born out of a need. Someone wanted something that didn’t exist or didn’t exist in the way they wanted it. They didn’t go to a keyword tool. They didn’t conduct a survey. They simply paid attention to their own frustration.
That’s how my journey started.
In 2007, I was obsessed with motorcycles. I was trying to decide between a Bajaj Pulsar, a TVS Apache, or a Hero Honda Karizma. But when I searched online for reviews, I found almost nothing.
There were no YouTube videos. No blog posts. No genuine user reviews. Just pixelated advertisements ripped from television and uploaded by fans.
That frustration turned into a spark: What if I just write about bikes myself?
That’s how BikeAdvice.in was born. Not from a business plan, but from a personal itch. I scratched it, and found that thousands of others were itching in the same place.
Find the Gap Through Your Life
Most people ignore their frustrations. They complain and move on. Entrepreneurs investigate their frustrations. They follow the thread.
Let me say this clearly:
The market gap you're looking for is hiding in your lived experience.
Were you ever annoyed that a product didn’t do what you needed? Did you ever waste hours trying to solve something that felt like it should be simple? Were you ever so desperate for a solution that you tried to build a workaround yourself?
Those moments are signals. That’s the gap. And if you feel it deeply enough, there’s a good chance many others feel it too.
You Are the First Customer
The best business ideas are built for an audience of one: you.
Because when you are the customer, you understand everything:
The pain.
The language.
The urgency.
The trade-offs.
The desired outcome.
When I started BikeAdvice, I didn’t need to do market research. I was the market. I wrote what I wanted to read. I created the reviews I wanted to watch. And because I was authentic, others trusted me. That trust became traffic. That traffic became income.
You don’t need a focus group when the focus is you. You just need to be radically honest about what you need, and whether the world might need it too.
A Gap Is Not Just a Lack of Product
Sometimes, the gap is not that something doesn't exist. The gap could be:
Poor communication.
Lack of trust.
Poor user experience.
An outdated brand.
A distribution problem.
The key is to observe what people are settling for—and ask, can this be better?
Take the example of AstroTalk. The founder doesn’t even believe in astrology. But he noticed a pattern: Everyone around him was going to astrologers out of anxiety and fear of the future. The gap wasn’t astrology itself—that industry has existed for centuries. The gap was in access and delivery.
He built a bridge between customers and astrologers using modern tech. Now it’s a Rs. 100 crore business.
If You See the Gap, Build the Bridge
Most people are waiting for someone else to solve their problems. Entrepreneurs are the ones who realize maybe I am the one I’ve been waiting for.
But here’s the catch:
You won’t always know if the gap is real.
You won’t always know if others feel it.
You won’t always know if it will work.
And yet, you have to start anyway.
When I started BikeAdvice, I had no validation. Just a gut feeling. I followed it. I wrote every day. And slowly, Google rewarded my effort. Visitors came. Then advertisers. Then income.
You don’t find the gold by standing still. You dig. You try. You test. You move.
Why Most People Never Find Their Niche
Because they’re trying to find it with their brain.
But the best niches are not found with logic. They’re felt. You feel them in your gut, in your bones, in your blood.
You know you’re onto something when:
You can’t stop thinking about it.
You’d build it even if no one paid you (at first).
You would be your own first customer.
That’s how all deep businesses are born. The superficial ones copy trends. The deep ones dig trenches.
Refine As You Go
Even if you don’t hit the jackpot with your first idea, the act of moving creates clarity.
If you sit in a parked car and turn the steering, the direction doesn’t change. But if the car is moving, even a slight turn will shift your trajectory.
Start with a broad idea. Solve a small problem. Get one person results. Then go deeper.
The niche will reveal itself only after you begin. Not before.
The Gap Is Always Changing
Here’s the good news: Market gaps never disappear.
As technology changes, culture shifts, and expectations rise, new gaps emerge. People want better, faster, safer, cheaper, more ethical, more personalized, more delightful.
And most big players don’t adapt quickly. They’re slow, lazy, and comfortable. That’s your edge.
You don’t need to build the next Google. You just need to build the next small bridge for the people who are stuck on one side.
Final Words: Be a Gap Seeker
You are not a content creator. You are not a coach. You are not a digital marketer.
You are a gap seeker.
Train your mind to observe where the world is not yet as good as it should be. Where people are tolerating subpar experiences. Where frustration is simmering. Where questions are unanswered.
Then build something small. Something useful. Something real.
And once you find a gap that only you can fill?
Dig deep.
That’s your niche. That’s your moat. That’s your opportunity.
Mind the Gap. Build the Bridge. Become the Brand.