Niching Down
Back to the old ways
We have all seen the movie or read the book where the protagonist is a farmer or blacksmith. They are doing one job and doing it well. People from all over know them for this role. They are a specialist at their niche. For some reason the character is not happy about the card they were dealt, but us, as the viewer, we generally have a moment of – “that looks nice and simple”. Sure, the rest of the story is them doing anything possible to not be that person, but that one moment always seems ideal.
Recently, I have started to notice the power and allure of niche jobs. Doing something so well that you are sought out for it. Previously, I have always leaned on the side of learning everything and doing everything. Sure, I still lean on learning, but the do part has been fading a bit. This became front and center when I was sought out for a consulting project. The client wanted me to help their company provide a cohesive remote video solution to its employees, contractors, and ambassadors. This solution was for video calls, webinars, and post produced classes. I created just that for them! A knowledge base of information around remote video, curated kits of tools, and a workspace for them to access all this information. The reason why they came to me is because they enjoyed the production quality of my docu-series. At that moment I realized that I have created a niche of sorts.
This situation got me thinking about niche jobs more. As creators, tech professionals, and other types of knowledge workers we have a single job title – filmmaker, product manager, designer, journalist, but those titles are not 100% accurate. Yes, we have a specialty, but not really a niche. Something unique to us. Yes, there are some diamonds in the rough that carved out a unique version of their role, but most don’t. This is fine by the way! The point here is that niche jobs, be it a remote filmmaking consultant or a blacksmith that everyone in town goes to, are jobs that allow you to focus, get even better at them, and get paid more than other roles.
When you become a niche worker you do less of the filler work, less of the general stuff. You're not making project plans as often, not sitting in meetings pondering how to accomplish something, or having to get a salary that is defined for you. When you find a niche, you focus on just that and define what it looks like. Finding your niche job is being a freelancer 10x.
As an example, I used to be a product manager for a TV everywhere SaaS company. We built apps for broadcasters using our application framework. That sounds pretty niche, but doing that role I had to do many other roles inside of it, constantly context switching, never feeling like I had control over my work. Since going freelance again, and stumbling into this niche, I have control over my time, focus on my project more concisely, work less, and make more hourly.
Another example of this is a denim restoration specialist and tailor that is local to me in Portland, Oregon. I was looking for a tailor to fix up a few pairs of jeans. While doing so I stumbled across Indigo Proof on Google. They specialize in jean tailoring. They do a specific set of tasks and no more. They charge well for it and were back booked for months. You cannot get any more niche than this.
Not everyone is going to have a niche job, but if you can have one I’d 100% recommend it! You will likely still have to wear a few hats if you are a one person crew, but you will be doing them only to support the niche itself. If you are a freelancer, creative, or even a knowledge worker with a specific area of expertise you might want to consider going deep on this skill. It might provide you more time, money, and fulfillment. I really think that there is an area of opportunity here. To look back in history, and see how focusing on one niche could provide you more than you expect. The world seems to have forgotten how simple and fulfilling life can be, rather than noisy and overwhelming. Sure, the hero of the story might be seeking adventure and complication but some of us would be better off niching down.