Picking who you serve is crucial because consistent change requires consistent inputs. A predictable system acting on a chaotic, diverse group will never produce a reliable output. This is why defining your audience precisely is foundational.

Many common answers to “Who do you serve?” are actually incorrect, such as:

• My local community

• Anyone who needs a dentist

• Anyone who cares about their teeth or appearance

• Anyone within a 10-mile radius

• A patient avatar worksheet from years ago

These approaches used to work when communities were shaped by geography. People compared themselves to neighbors and shared similar lifestyles. But today, the internet has created communities based on interests, identity, and worldview—not location. Someone living two houses away may care about racing cars while you care about minimalism, books, fitness, or something completely different.

Because of this, broad targeting leads to two major problems:

1. Inconsistent inputs create inconsistent outputs.

   A diverse group entering your system will produce unpredictable results, making it impossible to refine your system or generate reliable change.

2. Broad targeting forces you to become average.

   When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up diluting what makes you unique. You cast a wide net, adopt average pricing, offer average services, and become a commodity. When you average out diversity, you get boring.

The alternative is to flip the mindset entirely:

• Cast a narrow net.

• Serve fewer people on purpose.

• Choose exactly who you want to create change among.

• Reject the masses so you can stop being a commodity.

This shift—from “help everyone” to “help the few we choose”—is the first step toward designing a system that works and being a practice that stands out.