In healthcare, ambition is essential. Companies selling into health systems often bring innovative solutions that can transform patient care, improve outcomes, and unlock efficiencies. But too often, growth targets are set on optimism rather than evidence, leading to unrealistic expectations and, ultimately, disappointment.
One of the most common reasons growth plans falter is the absence of structured market sizing. Without it, businesses risk:
- Overstating the opportunity and overpromising to investors or boards
- Missing key milestones erodes trust and credibility
- Damaging investor and client confidence, making it harder to raise funds or expand
That’s where TAM/SAM/SOM analysis comes in.
About TAM/SAM/SOM and why it matters
- TAM (Total Addressable Market): the full universe of demand if every potential customer bought your product or service
- SAM (Serviceable Available Market): the portion of that universe you can realistically target, given regulations, geography, or buyer type
- SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): the share you can realistically win, considering competition, resources, and readiness
This framework is not just investor jargon. It’s a discipline that helps you set credible growth expectations, allocate resources wisely, and build strategies that stand up to scrutiny.
In an ideal world, you’d size your market both top-down (starting from overall market size and narrowing down) and bottom-up (building from customer segments, deal sizes, and realistic adoption).
But in healthcare, especially for new markets or innovative solutions, baseline data often doesn’t exist. This is exactly why TAM/SAM/SOM becomes even more valuable:
- It forces you to make assumptions visible
- It anchors ambition in a structured framework
- It highlights gaps where you need more data or validation
One way to embed this thinking into your planning is to use TAM/SAM/SOM inside a Lean Canvas one-page framework.
The Lean Canvas was designed as a rapid market assessment tool, lightweight, easy to update, and highly visual. By integrating TAM/SAM/SOM into the Customer Segments box, you ensure that market sizing is not an afterthought, but a core part of your growth strategy.
This approach keeps analysis sharp, clear, and actionable without slowing down your go-to-market momentum.
At Kamruddin Consulting, we specialise in helping companies selling into healthcare navigate complexity with clarity. We apply tools like TAM/SAM/SOM and Lean Canvas to ensure that growth strategies are not only ambitious but also achievable.
The result?
- Growth plans that win investor and stakeholder confidence
- Targets that motivate teams rather than overwhelm them
- Market entry strategies that stand up to scrutiny
Because in healthcare, it’s not enough to have a brilliant solution – you need a realistic, credible path to growth.
