“Convergence represents the intersection between something you especially like to do or are good at doing (preferably both) and what other people are also interested in.”

Why it was said

Chris Guillebeau sets this out early in The $100 Startup (2012) as the first of the lessons that run through the book. It defines the idea behind most of the small businesses he studied, which were built with modest sums and earned their founders a living.

What it actually means

The definition corrects two half-truths at once. "Do what you love" ignores whether anyone will pay for it, and "find a market gap" ignores whether you can sustain the work. Guillebeau places a viable small business where the two meet: a skill or enthusiasm of yours, and a problem or desire that other people already have. Many of his examples were built on a skill the founder had not thought of as a business, such as organising, teaching or repairing, which others valued more than the founder did. The bracketed "preferably both" matters too: skill without enjoyment wears thin, and enjoyment without skill rarely earns. The test is practical, not inspirational: does the overlap exist, and can it be shown with a first sale?

How to use it

1. 1Write two lists, things you are good at and things people regularly ask you for help with, and circle any item that appears on both.
2. 2For one circled item, describe a small paid offer and ask three people who fit the description whether they would buy it.