Sasquatch Media Grounds Case Study

Meet Mary Williams: a media producer stuck in the classic entrepreneur analysis paralysis.

Mary had a killer vision for Vancouver, Washington's answer to LA/London recording standards, but she'd been sitting on her studio dream for months, spinning her wheels on whether to go after clients or investors to fund the studio. And all the while, her dream studio remained exactly that—a dream.

The brutal reality: Mary was thinking like a freelancer when she needed to think like a media mogul, and her "either/or" mindset was keeping her stuck in analysis paralysis hell.

During our business focus session, we used design thinking strategies to help Mary step outside her mental loop and see her challenge from completely new angles.

What we uncovered:

• Her "either/or" thinking was the real problem, not the funding question
• Multiple stakeholders were actively seeking her exact solution
• She was thinking too small for someone with her expertise
• Market validation was more valuable than funding at this stage

The moment Mary stopped asking "How do I solve this?" and started asking "Who else is already looking for solutions?" everything shifted.

One conversation with city officials about producing an official city podcast cracked open possibilities she'd never considered. Suddenly, Mary wasn't thinking small anymore—she was seeing satellite locations, co-working space partnerships, and multiple pathways to her vision.

Instead of trying to solve the "funding vs. clients" puzzle, Mary discovered she could validate her concept while building relationships and revenue streams simultaneously.

The market insights that changed everything:

• City officials needed content partnerships
• Co-working communities wanted amenities that were currently not available on-site
• Creators were desperate for professional, plug-and-play solutions
• Angel investors were looking for clear vision + market validation

We helped Mary shift from "What do I need?" to "What does my market actually want?" which completely changed her approach and confidence level.

The strategic approach:

• Mapped all possible stakeholders (not just investors and clients)
• Identified pain points from each perspective to find intersection opportunities
• Started market validation conversations instead of hiding behind research
• Developed multiple pathway strategy rather than either/or thinking
• Positioned herself as a solution provider instead of asking for permission

The transformation:

• Stopped thinking like a freelancer → started thinking like a media mogul
• Went from "maybe I can open my studio in a co-working space" → "I want to own a whole building on Main Street"
• Shifted from vision → actionable 5-year business plan