13.5 — Sin #4: Niching by Persona Worksheets #

Everyone has tried ICP worksheets:

• age
  
• gender
  
• salary
  
• hobbies
  
• marital status
  
• car
  
• favourite coffee
  

None of these variables create recognition.

A 42-year-old mum in Perth has nothing in common with a 42-year-old mum in Mumbai.

A 35-year-old “professional male” could be:

• a plumber
  
• a lawyer
  
• a FIFO electrician
  
• a schoolteacher
  
• a café owner
  
• a software engineer
  

These personas flatten everyone into sameness.

Persona worksheets confuse demographics with identity.

Demographics don’t create trust.
Identity does.

This sin creates niches that look good on paper —
and collapse in reality.