Build before selling vs Sell before build

[Octavia]

Reading though some startups posts on Reddit.

One person build first prior to selling and had a solid 4-5 clients prior to building something out.

While another build in silence and then started selling.


With my current business I have done build first and sell later (now). I thought that it would be way easier to reach out to the folks I wanted as clients but like all things social media, sh☆t changes while you are not around.

So while having a client list noway to reach out.

That got me thinking perhaps the reddit person was right. Get paying clients first and then build out?

Perhaps even do a wait list??

 

[roydan]

I think you should structure your roadmap in a way that it's usable in every step, accept clients for an appropriate price point that fits your current features and grandfather them onwards.

If you build an SEO tool, start with a usable keyword expander, then add a position tracker, then a backlinks report, siloing tool, etc..

Important to mention that I have 0 experience in selling software or in SaaS management.

 

[Octavia]

I think you should structure your roadmap in a way that it's usable in every step, accept clients for an appropriate price point that fits your current features and grandfather them onwards.

If you build an SEO tool, start with a usable keyword expander, then add a position tracker, then a backlinks report, siloing tool, etc..

Important to mention that I have 0 experience in selling software or in SaaS management.

So that would be a working MVP first. Then get first clients 》continue developing

 

[roydan]

So that would be a working MVP first. Then get first clients 》continue developing

Something like that, but just in a way that you won't end up with 15 standalone features but with a product that all of its features are properly integrated and complement each other.
Imagine a bing keyword research tool with google position tracking, two important features that have nothing to do with each other.

To you should prioritize features based on interest *and* how they relate to each other.

 

[t2van]

Reading though some startups posts on Reddit.

One person build first prior to selling and had a solid 4-5 clients prior to building something out.

While another build in silence and then started selling.


With my current business I have done build first and sell later (now). I thought that it would be way easier to reach out to the folks I wanted as clients but like all things social media, sh☆t changes while you are not around.

So while having a client list noway to reach out.

That got me thinking perhaps the reddit person was right. Get paying clients first and then build out?

Perhaps even do a wait list??

I'll reply when sober. But replying now so it's in my watch list

 

[t2van]

I think it depends on what you are building out?

If it's some local cunt muncher app then I think build in silence and then get the traction, users and sell.

If it's some sort of SEO type app or something then get clients in and use your app to proof of concept and sell from there.

I think personally it comes down to what you are offering if you sell first or not.

There half sober but more pissed reply.

 

[Hi-tech]

Personally, I lean toward selling before building—especially for early-stage ideas.
It keeps things lean, reduces guesswork, and you’re basically getting paid to validate your product

 

[polecat]

You need something to sell first or you will get screwed shortly unless you got everything ready for action for direct suppliers who you can pay and get stuff ready to sell fast.

 

[Octavia]

You need something to sell first or you will get screwed shortly unless you got everything ready for action for direct suppliers who you can pay and get stuff ready to sell fast.

Exactly what is happening most of the time. People have the product but getting it out to market often takes time. So you don't have people lined up to buy.

 

[polecat]

Exactly what is happening most of the time. People have the product but getting it out to market often takes time. So you don't have people lined up to buy.

Very true.

When I first done ecommerce to me was simple you do the market research then sell the product if you do the starting steps right it will normally very easy to sell the product.

To give bit of random or funny story Irn Bru done Irn Bru bottle saying the word "Fanny" based on marketing advert because of that and the limited stock me getting the market understood I was buying for like £0.10 and selling to people for £50 over limited stock and high demand for the product for the word on it.

I made like £500 from it all not big sales but big profit.

 

[t2van]

Exactly what is happening most of the time. People have the product but getting it out to market often takes time. So you don't have people lined up to buy.

I think this is why things like kickstarter work so well.

You can find an audience and get "pre order" or "funding" hype is built naturally and the community will often promote everything for you as well. There is even a chance to get some free press, so a link profile is starting to be built for you also.

The old school landing page can work just the same though, rather than putting something similar like it used to be "coming soon + company tag line" I think if you spend the time to build a single landing page with content, snippets and clips of what you are offering.

Of course include a email sign up. That sort of thing can tick both camps and you don't really fall into either category they are just natural ways to promote whats coming.


The sell before the build is a trap you often see, people over promise and under delivery and then you are screwed before you even get your self off the ground - there are plenty of examples in the game industry where this has happened and it can take years to gain any traction if any at all...

I've always built then sold later. It works and I don't mind the grind plus I got something to actually show for my efforts.

These days though I think it's better to try and build a community first, then build and then sell. Hopefully a % of that community becomes your company army or fans who will:

1. Defend you online
2. Always buy so coving overhead is never a worry.

I still struggle with this even with my own company today I have managed to build up a fan base via email who can and do cover my overhead every time I fire an email off to them a large % always buys and that protects me agains SERP movements, staff incompetence or any other external factor beyond my control.

 

[Octavia]

These days though I think it's better to try and build a community first, then build and then sell. Hopefully a % of that community becomes your company army or fans who will:

I build first and then started to sell thought I already have a few people I can reach out to which would give my product the initial push. But I was far to reliant on their audience, which was lackluster to say the least.

So now it is a daily grind, do thr service, send cold mail, hop on calls etc.