The move where you enter a huge market through one narrow, undeniable use case, win trust and distribution there, then expand outward into adjacent use cases later.
Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey launched Square in 2010 with one product: a free white plastic reader that turned an iPhone into a credit card terminal. The wedge was payments for tiny businesses no bank cared about. By 2024 the parent company Block had expanded into payroll, lending, banking, and Cash App, all built on data and distribution earned through that first $30 reader.
