It’s all about building ‘your’ dreams
Build A Product for Yourself First. Then for others.
It’s been 4 years since my first and last failure at building a startup. When I look back, I see it as a lost opportunity. Not because it could have turned into a big company but because because there was a need for such a product, maybe there still is. To be honest it wasn’t my idea but I could have played a significant role in building that product. I don’t really regret my decision of not going ahead with that product. That’s probably because it wasn’t my dream and I never considered it to be my problem.
Dreams & problems are what drives us to build products. So if your want to build something then make sure that you are its first customer, otherwise don’t build it. If your product solves your problem at hand only then go out and build it. This will be the biggest motivation that you’ll have while you are building it. And while you are building it find people who face the same problem. Don’t be shy, they will appreciate it because you are building something that will solve their problem.
Put down your glasses, take out your thinking hat. And ask just one question. “Will this solve my problem ?”
I see a lot of people trying to build products for others. Sometime when I get an idea I try to think that it would help people of this segment. Very rarely I think that how it will solve my problems. It is easy to find people who will be ready to try out your product. They’ll even love your product. But will they pay and continue to use your product ? It’s not easy to find an answer to this question. When questions like this come to mind they tend to deter you from your goal. You start to doubt your product. And things start to look shaky. This won’t happen if you are its first customer. You know exactly what to build and how to use. You know that whatever comes, you’ll at least solve your problem. This in itself is a very big motivation.
Think Simple ?
When building a product start from the very basic problem. Don’t try to combine many problems. Each problem is unique in itself and has to be approached separately. When we try to build a product to solve many problems at hand we tend to dilute the solution to basic problem. It does not appear what problem is being targeted. It’s best to keep the product simple and targetted towards a single problem. It also helps in thinking of a solution clearly.
When building a product keep these things in mind. It’s not easy to build a product that is useful, neither it is to decide what to build. The idea may not come in a day or two. It might take a few weeks or months. It’s mostly out of experience and need. The more you explore the world the more ideas you’ll have. No idea is bad. But choosing an idea that you’ll enjoy building is very important. Ultimately that is what you’ll put your energy on.
