To Harvest or Seed the Market
When allocating marketing dollars, we used to ask: Do we double down where consumer spend is high—or seed where it’s low?
That same question applies to startup go-to-market strategies. And it’s one of the most important strategic decisions a founder can make.
The Harvest vs. Seed Dilemma
Crowded markets get a bad rap. Founders often shy away, fearing competition, noise, and saturation. But crowded markets come with hidden advantages: someone else is already paying to educate the customer.
If your product solves a fuzzy or unfamiliar problem, harvesting a crowded market might be a smart move. You piggyback on existing awareness and redirect attention instead of building it from scratch.
On the flip side, if your product solves a clear, urgent pain point, seeding an underdeveloped market can be powerful. You’re buying attention rather than competing for it. You own the narrative, shape the category, and define the rules.
A Heuristic for Founders
Here’s a rough decision framework to help founders think through their launch strategy. If your product:
🔹 Solves a vague or emerging problem, consider harvesting (to ride the awareness wave)
🔸 Solves a clear, painful problem, consider seeding (to own the narrative).
🔹 Requires behavior change, consider harvesting (to borrow trust from incumbents)
🔸 Offers a radically better experience, consider seeding (to build your own category)
This isn’t gospel—but it’s a useful starting point. The goal isn’t to follow a formula. It’s to understand the trade-offs.
What Harvesting Looks Like
Harvesting means entering a market where customers already have some understanding of the problem—but maybe not the best solution. You’re not educating from zero. You’re reframing.
Examples:
A new CRM tool entering the sales tech space with a unique UX or pricing model.
A wellness brand offering a better version of an already-popular supplement.
Harvesting works when:
The market is noisy but not fully satisfied.
Your differentiation is clear and compelling.
You can wedge into existing buying behavior.
What Seeding Looks Like
Seeding means entering a market where the problem is under-recognized or underserved. You’re not just selling a solution—you’re selling the existence of the problem.
Examples:
A startup tackling mental load in remote teams with a novel productivity framework.
A fintech product solving a niche but painful cash flow issue for freelancers.
Seeding works when:
The pain is real, even if the category isn’t.
You can articulate the problem better than anyone else.
You’re willing to invest in education and evangelism.
The Hybrid Play: Harvest, Then Seed
Sometimes, the best strategy is both.
Start by harvesting—enter a crowded space with a wedge. Build traction, learn fast, and prove demand. Then carve out your own terrain. Reframe the category. Seed your own narrative.
This hybrid approach works especially well for:
Products that start as “better mousetraps” but evolve into platforms.
Founders who want early traction without sacrificing long-term differentiation.
Questions to Ask Before You Launch
What’s the current level of customer awareness around the problem?
Are incumbents educating the market—or confusing it?
Can you wedge into existing behavior, or do you need to reshape it?
Is your differentiation clear enough to stand out in a crowded space?
Do you have the resources to educate and evangelize if you choose to seed?
Final Thought
Go-to-market isn’t just about channels and tactics. It’s about strategic positioning. Whether you harvest or seed, the goal is the same: earn attention, build trust, and drive adoption.
But how you get there depends on your product, your market, and your appetite for noise vs. narrative.
So ask yourself: Are you riding the wave—or planting the seed?