The “Who” Question: Identifying Key Players Inside and Out
In building a successful strategy, the “who” question is fundamental. Every organization is built on people: the people it serves and the people who make it all happen. Knowing “who” you’re targeting externally and “who” you need internally creates a foundation for focus, alignment, and growth. Without a clear sense of who your key players are, both inside and outside the organization, your mission risks becoming unfocused and scattered.
The Tiny Strategy framework takes the “who” question and applies it in two directions: outward, toward the market, and inward, toward your team. Understanding both is essential to fulfilling your mission effectively.
Who Are You Serving? (Outward Focus)
First, let’s look outward. The most critical question here is: Who is your target market? This isn’t just about basic demographics or a general idea of “potential customers.” It’s about understanding the needs, values, and behaviors of the specific group you’re aiming to help or serve.
Why It’s Important to Define Your Target Market
Knowing exactly who you’re trying to reach helps you focus your resources where they’ll make the most impact. When you have a clear picture of your target audience, you can:
- Build Products that Solve Real Needs: By understanding your audience, you can ensure that every product or service is tailored to what they actually want or need.
- Create Resonant Messaging: Your communication and marketing efforts become more effective when they’re designed for a specific audience. People feel more connected to brands that speak to their unique needs and experiences.
- Prioritize Opportunities: Knowing your audience lets you say “no” to opportunities that don’t align with their needs. This keeps your organization focused and your message consistent.
How to Define Your Target Market
To determine your audience, start by asking yourself these questions:
- Who specifically benefits from our product or service?
Identify the primary user or buyer. This might be a specific demographic (like Millennials or parents) or a niche interest group (such as eco-conscious consumers or remote workers). - What are their goals, challenges, and values?
Think beyond surface-level demographics and dive into psychographics—what motivates them, what they struggle with, and what they value in a product or service. Are they looking to save time, reduce stress, learn something new, or achieve a specific outcome? - What unique needs do we fulfill for them?
Define the specific value that you provide for your target audience. This might be convenience, reliability, or an experience that no one else offers in quite the same way. Understanding this helps you differentiate yourself and build loyalty. - What common misconceptions do we need to clarify?
Sometimes, you may find that your target audience doesn’t fully understand how your product or service can help them. Knowing these common misconceptions can help you refine your messaging to better educate and engage them.
Who Do You Need on Your Team? (Inward Focus)
Once you know who you’re serving, it’s time to look inward. Who do you need within your organization to make your mission a reality? This is about building a team with the skills, values, and mindset to deliver on your purpose and meet your market’s needs.
Why Team Composition Matters
Your organization’s ability to serve its market depends directly on the people you bring in. When you’re intentional about the “who” inside your organization, you create a culture and structure that enables everyone to do their best work. With a team built around a shared understanding of your mission, you gain:
- Consistency and Focus: A well-aligned team makes decisions based on shared goals and values, creating a cohesive, consistent approach to every project.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving: When you have the right mix of skills and perspectives, your team can tackle complex challenges more effectively.
- Reduced Turnover and Increased Engagement: People are more engaged and likely to stay with an organization when they understand their role in the mission and feel connected to the bigger picture.
How to Define Your Internal “Who”
To identify who you need on your team, consider the following steps:
- Start with Your Core Functions
What core roles are essential for bringing your mission to life? This could include design, engineering, marketing, customer service, or sales, depending on your industry. For example, if you’re a tech company aiming to improve data security, hiring skilled software engineers and data scientists would be fundamental. - Consider Both Skills and Values
Skills matter, but values are equally critical for maintaining a cohesive team that supports your mission. What are the core values that drive your organization? These might include a commitment to innovation, respect for diversity, customer-first thinking, or dedication to social impact. By hiring people who align with these values, you create a team that’s engaged and unified. - Identify Key Gaps in Expertise
As you define your internal “who,” be mindful of areas where you need more expertise or support. For example, if you’re expanding internationally, you may need people with experience in global logistics or cross-cultural marketing. Hiring to fill these gaps ensures your team is equipped to handle the specific challenges ahead. - Adapt as You Grow
The people you need on day one aren’t necessarily the same as those you’ll need later. As your organization grows, be willing to adjust your team composition to support new stages. Early on, you may need generalists who can wear many hats. Later, as roles become more specialized, you might need to add experts in particular areas to refine processes or bring in a more strategic perspective.
Bringing the Internal and External “Who” Together
When you understand both who you’re serving and who you need on your team, you create alignment that’s invaluable to your mission. Your product team knows who they’re building for. Your marketing team knows who they’re speaking to. And your whole organization understands how their roles contribute to serving your market.
For instance:
- A health and wellness brand might define its audience as busy professionals who want accessible, sustainable health solutions. Internally, they might focus on building a team with expertise in digital health, consumer psychology, and sustainable sourcing to meet these needs effectively.
- An education-focused nonprofit might target students in underfunded school districts. Internally, they would prioritize educators, curriculum developers, and community outreach experts who share a passion for equal access to education.
In each case, defining the internal and external “who” provides clarity and helps guide every strategic decision, from product development to marketing to hiring.
Final Thoughts: Why “Who” Is Essential to Strategy
At its core, the “who” question helps you stay focused on people—the people who need what you offer and the people who bring it to life. Knowing your audience lets you build meaningful, resonant products and services. Knowing your team requirements lets you create a culture and structure that can deliver.
Without a clear “who,” it’s easy to get lost in a sea of “what” and “how” questions, implementing solutions that don’t truly connect with your mission or market. But when you have a strong sense of who you serve and who you need, you create alignment that fuels growth, creativity, and resilience.
Take the time to answer these “who” questions deeply and revisit them as your organization evolves. With clarity around your key players inside and out, you’ll build a strategy that’s grounded in purpose and set up for long-term success.
