Some people try to challenge the idea of choosing a narrow market by saying, “I’ll just move into a needs-based market. If people need the service, I won’t have to market.” This argument assumes that needs and wants live on opposite ends of a spectrum, where needs eliminate the role of marketing. But that framework is incorrect.

The truth is that needs and wants constantly interact, and neither excludes the other. We can need things we don’t want, want things we don’t need, and often want things because we need them. Instead of a spectrum, they operate as one system, moving like a pendulum between the two.

To understand this, we use a functional definition of needs and wants:

1. Wants = preferences.

   Everything begins with desire. If someone doesn’t want something, they don’t need the requirements that support it. A want creates the context for need.

2. Needs = requirements for maintaining the baseline function of that preference.

   Needs only exist because a want exists.

   • If I want to travel, I now need transportation.

   • If I want to be healthy, I now need healthcare.

   • If I don’t want those things, the needs disappear.

This shows why needs are subjective and want-dependent, not fixed or universal. In modern society, where true survival needs are rare, nearly everything people act on begins as a preference. We are all playing the wants game.

In dentistry, it works the same way:

• Someone wants healthy teeth (preference).

• That leads to needing treatment (requirement).

• But the need never guarantees your practice.

• They only need you if you’re the only provider of the type of experience they want.

So needs and wants aren’t opposites. They’re part of one system where wants trigger needs, needs reinforce wants, and marketing plays a role in both. Understanding this helps you see why narrowing your market remains essential—even in a “needs-based” field like dentistry.