How to answer “How big can this really get?”
An investor questions whether your market is large enough to support a big company.
What they might say
- “How big can this really get?”
- “Isn't this a pretty small market?”
- “Who pays beyond the top schools?”
What's usually behind it
The investor wants to separate your starting audience from your full opportunity. A headline market estimate needs a clear buyer count and a credible spending assumption.
What you can say
- We estimate a €1.4B market across 12,000 universities in Europe and the US.
- We're starting with the top 900 schools, not selling to everyone at once.
- Would it help to walk through the spending assumption behind that estimate?
Try not to
- Treating every university as a likely customer.
- Saying you only need a tiny market share.
How Earshot helps in the moment
Earshot listens live, shows one short card with a suggested line, and nudges you on pace as you explain your market.
More for investor pitches