Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)
The portion of SAM you can realistically capture in the near term.
Definition
SOM is your realistic revenue target — the slice of SAM you can capture in the next 2-3 years given your resources, team, funding, and competitive dynamics. It's the most grounded of the three market sizing metrics and the one investors use to evaluate your short-term revenue potential.
Why it matters for founders
SOM is your credibility check. It proves you can bridge from TAM theory to actual revenue. Showing TAM → SAM → SOM in a pitch demonstrates analytical rigor.
Example
A project management tool for construction: TAM $10B, SAM $1.5B (mid-size US firms), SOM $30M (500 companies at $60K/year ARR, reachable via industry partnerships).
How Foundra helps
Foundra's Validation Hypotheses card in the Validate phase helps you test whether your SOM assumptions are realistic by setting clear criteria for what must be true.
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Related terms
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The total revenue opportunity if your product captured 100% of the market.
Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM)
The portion of TAM you can realistically serve with your current product and business model.
Unit Economics
The revenue and costs associated with a single unit of your business (usually one customer).