TAM, SAM, and SOM Without Handwaving
Separate TAM, SAM, and SOM so a market-size claim matches what the team can actually serve and win.
Market size gets useful only when the layers mean different things. Teams usually overstate markets for a simple reason: the broad number is easy to find and emotionally comforting. Analysts can download an industry estimate in minutes, while segmenting reachable buyers and modeling obtainable share takes real work. But the easy number is usually answering the wrong question. If your TAM is huge, that tells you the category exists. It does not tell you your buyer feels the pain sharply, that your product fits the job, or that your go-to-market can reach them. SAM is the bridge from abstract category…
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