Over 252 million views—that’s how many times cottage cheese-related videos have been watched on TikTok (according to ChatGPT so take it with a grain of salt).

Yes, the same lumpy cottage cheese is now a sensation.

Cottage cheese—a product once associated with bland diet culture—is now a viral sensation.

What changed?

Not the product itself. The way it’s marketed and consumed.

Brands stopped selling cottage cheese as a relic of the past and started listening to modern consumers. They realized people weren’t just buying food—they were buying high-protein, versatile, snack-friendly options for busy, health-conscious lifestyles.

Cottage cheese didn’t evolve. Its market definition did.

Now, think about your business.

Are you still defining your market based on what you sell? Or are you focusing on what your customers actually need?

Kodak thought it was in the film business, and it lost.

BlackBerry thought it was selling business communication devices, and it lost.

Meanwhile, Uber didn’t see itself as a taxi company, and it continues to be in-demand.

If you’re still using a rolled-up newspaper to view your market—focusing narrowly on your product—you’re missing the full horizon of customer needs.

How to See the Whole Horizon

Here’s how to widen your perspective and redefine your market:

• ‍Ask Bigger Questions: Stop asking “What’s wrong with our product?” Start asking “What’s missing for our customers?”.
• Redefine Your Market: Are you in the “drink business,” or are you delivering “hydration and connection”? Are you in the “car business,” or are you enabling “mobility and freedom”.
• ‍Challenge Assumptions: Outdated definitions are blindfolds. The most dangerous thing you can do is cling to what worked yesterday.

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If cottage cheese can reinvent itself into a viral superstar, what’s stopping your business from redefining its market?

So, let me ask: Are you focusing on what’s in your hands—or what your customers actually need?

Let’s discuss.

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