← DictionaryNiche
also called specialism
A narrowly defined segment a business deliberately specialises in.
A deliberately narrow focus.
What It Is
In the BWH map, Niche lives under Business — Market. Stated plainly: a narrowly defined segment a business deliberately specialises in.
It is an idea you reason with rather than a deliverable you hand over, so two teams can both hold it correctly and still apply it differently. Keep it that plain and it will still be true in twelve months.
How It's Used
In practice, Niche shows up in commercial decisions, pricing conversations and how the business runs. It is usually discussed together with Positioning, Market and Ideal Customer Profile. The practical test is whether a decision changes because of it.
Why It Matters
Niche is one of those items that only becomes visible when it is missing. When it is unclear, margin leaks in places nobody is looking. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
It is a way of thinking, not a thing you can hold. A deliberately narrow focus.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Niche as shorthand and expect no explanation — a narrowly defined segment a business deliberately specialises in.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: a deliberately narrow focus.
The Bottom Line
Keep Niche plain: a deliberately narrow focus. That is the version that holds up in a real project.