Finding the Hidden Market: A Data-Driven Approach to Strategic Growth
When I was appointed CEO of Builderall, I inherited a clear mission: penetrate the U.S. market. Founded by a Brazilian team, the company believed that hiring an American CEO with an unaccented English voice was the key to unlocking the largest market globally. I accepted the role but ultimately declined to pursue that mission. Instead, I chose to double down on Latin America.
This decision was not a leap of faith based on instinct but a calculated move grounded in rigorous data analysis. The difference between where opportunity appeared to be and where it truly resided became crystal clear. Today’s entrepreneurs face similar crossroads as industries shift rapidly, especially with AI transforming customer behaviors. The crucial question is whether you chase the crowd or identify the untapped opening beneath your feet. The winners will be those who analyze their own data honestly, see the overlooked opportunity, and act decisively before competitors recalibrate.
1. Read Your Own Data Before You Chase Someone Else’s Story
Opportunity doesn’t always require decades of experience; it demands an unbiased look at your own numbers. At Builderall, our existing U.S. customer base initially seemed like a green light to invest heavily in America. Yet, upon closer inspection, these customers mostly bore Spanish surnames and were concentrated in South Florida, Texas, and Southern California — regions with strong Latin American diasporas.
What seemed like early traction in the U.S. was actually an extension of our success in Latin America. Our American foothold was less a sign of U.S. market acceptance and more a byproduct of Latin American marketing efforts. The lesson? Most entrepreneurs impose hopeful narratives on their data, but the true opening hides within the unexpected story the data tells.
2. Watch for the Macro Shift That Rewrites a Market
Major opportunities emerge following fundamental market changes. Those who spot these shifts first gain a critical advantage before competitors adapt. Latin America’s financial landscape exemplifies this. Historically challenged by limited bank access, scarce credit card use, and inconsistent internet, the region has transformed dramatically.
A 2023 Mastercard study shows the unbanked population in Latin America fell from 45% in 2019 to 21% in 2023. The World Bank’s Global Findex reports a 19% increase in financial inclusion between 2017 and 2021, the largest global gain in that period. Internet penetration surged from 43% in 2012 to 78% in 2022.
These shifts mean Latin America is no longer the market it once was—it’s a new market altogether. Most competitors still operate with outdated assumptions, creating openings for those who recognize and respond to the change. AI’s disruption across industries today mirrors this pattern: identify the evolving behavior before everyone else does.
3. Refuse to Fight the Strongest Opponent
Identifying an opening is only half the challenge. Next, assess who occupies that space and whether you can realistically compete. Targeting the U.S. meant confronting giants like Wix and Squarespace. Wix’s 2024 SEC filing revealed a staggering $175.6 million ad spend—over $14 million monthly—before accounting for Squarespace or other competitors. With limited resources, going head-to-head was a losing proposition.
Like soccer, where you avoid the thickest defense and seek a seam, business requires choosing battles wisely. There is no glory in tackling the strongest defender; the penalty for trying is often severe.
4. Protect Your Core and Resist Adjacency Hubris
Many companies stumble by overextending beyond their core strengths. The cost of new ventures isn’t just financial—it’s the diverted attention, investment, and energy away from what made the business successful.
Nike’s recent experience underscores this risk. While the global leader in athletic footwear, Nike aggressively shifted towards direct-to-consumer sales, reducing reliance on wholesale partners. Alongside other challenges, this channel shift contributed to a revenue decline from $51.4 billion to $46.3 billion year-over-year, and a 13% fall in Nike Direct revenue, as detailed in their fiscal 2025 report. By mid-2026, their stock hit an 11-year low.
In response, Nike is rebalancing. Their fiscal 2026 report shows wholesale revenue grew 6% while Nike Direct declined further. The company is rebuilding retailer relationships and reinvesting in the broader marketplace it once deprioritized.
This example highlights the critical question when exploring new opportunities: “What will pursuing this cause us to neglect here?” When “here” accounts for over 90% of your customers or revenue, the burden of proof for adjacent bets must be exceptionally high.
At Builderall, this meant choosing depth in Latin America—where our core strength and over 90% of customers resided—over a parallel U.S. market. We then selected specific countries as strategic beachheads rather than spreading efforts thinly across the entire continent.
Making It Real: Test Wide, Commit Narrow, Let the Numbers Decide
Our approach wasn’t to jump immediately into Mexico, Colombia, or Peru. Instead, we launched broad tests across Spanish-speaking Latin America, allowing data to reveal the strongest markets.
The process was straightforward: establish clear guardrails, define KPIs, run small, focused tests, and set fixed timelines to avoid endless experimentation. Many entrepreneurs falter here, caught in perpetual testing without decisive action.
Testing is a phase, not a lifestyle. If a test outlives its timeline, either it’s flawed or it’s a way to defer tough decisions. The solution is to let data be the boss—set win metrics based on unit economics like customer acquisition cost, service delivery cost, and revenue per customer. When a market hits the defined threshold, the decision to commit is automatic. The numbers lead, not opinions.
Macro disruption will continue reshaping industries. Those who thrive will be the ones who read their data honestly, spot shifts before competitors, avoid unwinnable fights, protect their core, and commit decisively while others hesitate.
I was hired to chase the crowded U.S. market but chose a different path. That experience fundamentally shaped my growth strategy: find the seam in the line, drive hard into it, and watch success follow the same logic.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways
- Read your own data honestly, then commit before your competitors update their assumptions.
- The opening is hiding in the data you already have — the winners are the ones who see it and move before anyone else does.
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