the.com/cottage industry
small-scale production that grew because someone noticed suffering could be monetized.
means a small, often informal business or sector that springs up to serve a specific niche need, usually growing organically rather than by design.
from literally referred to manufacturing done in workers' homes before factories existed, especially textiles in pre-industrial britain; the term survived the industrial revolution and got reborn as a metaphor for any scrappy, decentralized business scene.
original meaningliteral home-based spinning and weaving, 1700s england
metaphor shiftnow describes any niche market, not actual cottages
ironic usageoften signals an industry built on other people's problems
scale markerimplies small, fragmented, rarely one dominant player
for instance
divorce coaching — thousands of independent coaches monetizing breakups since the 2010s
college essay consulting — a whole niche industry billing anxious parents per application
crisis pr firms — tiny agencies that exist solely because scandals keep happening