Ep 77 - Market Matters! How to Find the Right Market for Your Startup, with Sharon Tal

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Sharon Tal, co-creator of the Where to Play framework and co-author of the book by the same name, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to walk through how startups—especially in STEM and deep tech—can systematically discover and prioritize their best market opportunities.

Sharon draws on over two decades of experience mentoring founders and academic research to explain why many startups fail due to poor market choices, not product issues. She presents the Market Opportunity Navigator as a structured, three-step tool to help founders avoid costly mistakes, identify high-potential opportunities, and maintain strategic agility.

Tune in to hear Sharon's thoughtful and research-backed perspectives on:

1. Why choosing the right market can make or break your startup.
2. Big founder blind spots that can derail your startup before you even start
3. A powerful new way to unlock unsuspected new market opportunities
4. How not to get blinded by your founder bias 
5. How to evaluate market opportunities, even for products that don't yet exist
6. Why chasing the first customer who knocks might steer you off course — and what to do instead.
7. The myth of "focus from day one" — and why exploration first leads to smarter decisions.
8. How to prioritize markets without giving up your options
9. How to pick the right market when there are no easy answers
10. How to build agility into your startups - and signal flexibility to investors without losing focus 
11. How to be prepared to capitalize on the best opportunities regardless of where you start

and much more!