| I don't entirely agree. There's a weird/elusive balance you need to strike. On the one hand, people like ideas, because it's easy enough to make something sound promising. "I like dogs, and Uber for dogs sounds awesome!". It's not until your hand is out and you're asking them to actually shell out for something here and now that you'll know their true purchasing behavior. On the other hand, if you're really trying to push the envelope, they won't understand what you're selling until they see it. Imagine trying to sell the idea of a car to a buggy driver - they'll probably shut you down with "that will never work". You have to straddle these two obstacles by getting to the "hand out asking for money" stage as quickly as possible, while highlighting that core novelty/innovation that makes you unique. I agree with you that we tend to shy away from these "first encounter" moments because we're afraid to find out we sunk months (or even years) building something that nobody wants (or that they're not willing to pay enough for to sustain a business). It's easier to think that "just one more" UI/website/feature will be enough to make it "perfect". Now, I'm a firm believer that the early product development stage is not about building a product, but rather uncovering information - who your customer is, how to reach them, and what they're willing to spend money on. Most important is the discipline to maintain a rapid prototype/customer feedback/iteration loop. |
I believe this is the key line in bambax' comment:
> The worst outcome is not to build something nobody wants -- it's not to build anything.
As a 'builder' I completely agree with that. I don't want to start an 'Uber for dogs' business, but I do want to make a woof recognition system.