Stop Building Stuff

[Andy Black]

Stop Building Stuff
(Originally posted here and then here.)


I worked for a company that was building a content creation platform.

I worked for a startup that was building a new social network.

I worked for another company that was building a call centre.

I've had many many clients that were building websites.

A few that were building an app.

And a few that were building email lists.


Sigh...



I created a deck for a client a few years ago, where I tried (unsuccessfully!) to stop them "building" stuff and provide value instead.

I've added it in it's entirety here to sneakily throw in some marketing education.
(It follows on from the short video in this post.)

The most important point is the last slide.

The next time you're "building" something...

Think of WHO you're helping, and WHY.

​

 

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[amp0193]

Thanks @Andy Black

It's tempting to want to "build stuff", but it is almost 100% guaranteed that my time is better spent on developing/launching new products instead. aka "adding value"

 

[minirich]

Stop "Building" Stuff
...

This should be shown to every Manager on their first, second, third,.... day on the job.
And it remindes me to that Dilbert: http://dilbert.com/strip/2016-09-08
This would save us "developers" lots of grey hair.

And again im building a new something.... to replace another something that got stale, fell out of favor or is just old.
The real reason why we needed it is long lost and hardly anyone will be able stop this cycle.

 

[Andy Black]

This should be shown to every Manager on their first, second, third,.... day on the job.
And it remindes me to that Dilbert: http://dilbert.com/strip/2016-09-08
This would save us "developers" lots of grey hair.

And again im building a new something.... to replace another something that got stale, fell out of favor or is just old.
The real reason why we needed it is long lost and hardly anyone will be able stop this cycle.

Haha. You sound like someone who's been there.

Thanks for your first post. Welcome to the forum. You'll fit in well.

 

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[JokerCrazyBeatz]

Your threads are always so valuable mannnnnn

 

[458]

Build around validation. Create a sale, build around it.

 

[Andy Black]

Stop trying to build an audience too.

 

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[jpanarra]

Awesome stuff, will be putting this philosophy to work!

 

[Yoda]

Stop trying to build an audience too.

I would have to disagree here.

You know I applaud much of your advice, but this is a bit irrational.

• Building something is probably an action-loop for most, resulting in little.
• Building audiences is building attention, which allows you to build to suit.

The latter is very much long term thinking.

 

[Andy Black]

I would have to disagree here.

You know I applaud much of your advice, but this is a bit irrational.

• Building something is probably an action-loop for most, resulting in little.
• Building audiences is building attention, which allows you to build to suit.

The latter is very much long term thinking.

All I'm saying is that your goal isn't to "build an audience". Building an audience is just a way HOW to achieve a business/life goal. That goal might be help more people, and get paid for it.

When people forget or aren't clear what their end goal is, then they start doing silly things to grow numbers for the sake of growing numbers.



Here's a good article:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/article-from-justin-jackson-just-help-people.59340

 

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[Yoda]

All I'm saying is that your goal isn't to "build an audience".

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

See, with an audience of zero, even if my intention is to help someone, I have a zero shot.

Yet, with an audience of plenty, even a small percentage is a win.



A percentage of something is better than 100% of nothing.

The goal is to be able to help more people ultimately, and get paid for it.

This.

 

[Andy Black]

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

See, with an audience of zero, even if my intention is to help someone, I have a zero shot.

Yet, with an audience of plenty, even a small percentage is a win.



A percentage of something is better than 100% of nothing.



This.

It's not a chicken or egg situation.

It's being able to state WHAT you’re trying to do, and WHY, and being able to differentiate that North Star from methods HOW you're going to get there.

In this case, you want to help more people (and get paid for it), and one way HOW is to build an audience.

There could be other ways HOW of course, and you could be blinded to them if you've mistaken your WHAT & WHY with one particular HOW.

If you lose sight of your WHAT & WHY, then you get enamoured with a HOW, and things start derailing.

I'm not saying not to build an audience, I'm saying that building an audience is (one) way HOW to help more people and earn more.

Get the goal right. Get your North Star right.


I did a few posts on this:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/the-biggest-mistake.67463
• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/clarity-of-purpose.63337

People might think I'm nit-picking, but literally this is a huge mindset shift that will keep you on the straight and narrow.

Once you "get" it, you'll see this mistake everywhere, yet wonder why no-one else can.



EDIT: Maybe I wasn't clear in my earlier post and should have said:

Stop trying to "build an audience" too.

 

[Yoda]

I'm not saying not to build an audience, I'm saying that building an audience is (one) way HOW to help more people and earn more.

So, why did you say:

Stop trying to build an audience too.

Here's the thing. My business is built like a machine to handle an audience.

My singular focus is building that audience now.

More audience directly results in more dollars.

Period.

 

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[Andy Black]

So, why did you say:




Here's the thing. My business is built like a machine to handle an audience.

My singular focus is building that audience now.

More audience directly results in more dollars.

Period.

My bad.

Stop trying to "build an audience".

That's what I should have said.

I missed the quotes.

Your goal isn't to build an audience, it's to help more people and generate more revenue.

If you've constructed your business so that you help more people and generate more revenue by building an audience, then great - build a bigger audience.

Just don't forget other ways to generate more revenue from your current customers. And don't miss the moment when building a bigger audience is no longer building your business because you were looking at the needle on the wrong dial.


This whole thread is to counter people who start threads asking "how to build stuff", when they are often mistaking WHAT they are trying to achieve with one particular strategy (HOW).

 

[GSF]

So, why did you say:




Here's the thing. My business is built like a machine to handle an audience.

My singular focus is building that audience now.

More audience directly results in more dollars.

Period.

It's not a chicken or egg situation.

It's being able to state WHAT your trying to do, and WHY, and being able to differentiate that North Star from methods HOW you're going to get there.

In this case, you want to help more people (and get paid for it), and one way HOW is to build an audience.

There could be other ways HOW of course, and you could be blinded to them if you've mistaken your WHAT & WHY with one particular HOW.

If you lose sight of your WHAT & WHY, then you get enamoured with a HOW, and things start derailing.

I'm not saying not to build an audience, I'm saying that building an audience is (one) way HOW to help more people and earn more.

Get the goal right. Get your North Star right.


I did a few posts on this:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/the-biggest-mistake.67463
• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/clarity-of-purpose.63337

People might think I'm nit-picking, but literally this is a huge mindset shift that will keep you on the straight and narrow.

Once you "get" it, you'll see this mistake everywhere, yet wonder why no-one else can.



EDIT: Maybe I wasn't clear in my earlier post and should have said:

Stop trying to "build an audience" too.

Does it not depend on the type of business youre in?

eg. online blog/magazine/ ecommerce = build an audience
service based business = help one at a time do good work get refferals etc?

 

[Yoda]

Does it not depend on the type of business youre in?

Not really, but how you monetize does.

You can build an audience in any vertical, but how you help them and you help yourself extract revenue vary widely.

 

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[Andy Black]

By the way, the article in this thread is related to building an audience. It's well worth a read, and the video dropped into the thread is very good too:

• Article: Quit trying to attract a crowd and just help people

The article is specifically aimed at people who're not helping anyone yet. It sounds like @Yoda isn't "stuck" at that stage.

 

[458]

I would have to disagree here.

You know I applaud much of your advice, but this is a bit irrational.

• Building something is probably an action-loop for most, resulting in little.
• Building audiences is building attention, which allows you to build to suit.

The latter is very much long term thinking.

Lol who cares? Build a buyer and let the audience burn.

 

[Andy Black]

When I was originally wrote this I was thinking of businesses with a stated goal to "build a social network". That's the wrong goal, and they should be thinking of who they're helping and why they need help, and not be enamoured with a particular way *how* to achieve it.


I think the advice also applies to people who literally like "building stuff" because they technically can.

You can build something clever but if it doesn't solve anyone's problem, or if you can't get the attention of people with that problem, then you're not going to make any sales.

And you'll not have a business, you'll have a hobby instead.

 

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[ZF Lee]

Stop trying to build an audience too.

won't the presence of an audience be a form of validation? That is, if they can be converted? I see lots of pre-sales building up customer base before a major launch, especially in the gaming industry.

 

[ZF Lee]

Thanks @Andy Black

It's tempting to want to "build stuff", but it is almost 100% guaranteed that my time is better spent on developing/launching new products instead. aka "adding value"

Maybe that's why there's a high casualty rate for businesses....they were building things that had no use. I see that a lot in my community...burger and food stalls mushrooming here and there. Near my college, there is too many convenience marts competing with each other, parked close to a bustling shopping complex.
Talk about a major genocide...

Looks really sad...those people are going to be trapped in Slowlane hell.

 

[ZF Lee]

Stop "Building" Stuff
(Originally posted here and then here.)


I worked for a company that was building a content creation platform.

I worked for a startup that was building a new social network.

I worked for another company that was building a call centre.

I've had many many clients that were building websites.

A few that were building an app.

And a few that were building email lists.


Sigh...



I created a deck for a client a few years ago, where I tried (unsuccessfully!) to stop them "building" stuff and provide value instead.

I've added it in it's entirety here to sneakily throw in some marketing education.
(It follows on from the short video in this post.)

The most important point is the last slide.

The next time you're "building" something...

Think of WHO you're helping, and WHY.

​

Phew...that makes my work easier. Notable thread anyone?

 

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[Nicoknowsbest]

won't the presence of an audience be a form of validation?

The only form of validation is to have paying customers.

 

[ZF Lee]

The only form of validation is to have paying customers.

Yes. For all you know, the audience who 'show' interest might as well be trying to be 'kind'.
Saw such a tragedy at some store at my school's open day, where they were selling furniture made of recycled materials. People looked, stared and congratulated, but I didn't see a lot of sales.

Besides the furniture did not seem to solve any problems at all. It was mostly made up of old crates which might as well be food for termites

 

[Andy Black]

Stop trying to "build a personal brand".



Want to be known as "The XYZ Guy"?

Help people with XYZ.

 

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[Andy Black]

Stop "trying to build a forum".



Who are you helping?

What are you helping them with?

Where do they hang out?

Go there and help them.





If you're already helping people (and getting paid for it), then maybe a forum is a good way to help people more or help more people.

Remember though, it's just a way HOW to achieve your ultimate goal. It isn't your ultimate goal.

Don't confuse WHAT you're doing and WHY with all the different ways HOW to do it.

 

[Andy Black]

Sigh.

It's like trying to stop the tide coming in with a bucket and spade.

 

[Puppy]

Stop trying to build an audience too.

ive always seen it as the audience is already there and it shouldnt have to be built. if you need to build an audience than something is wrong. for myself i look at how to reach the audience so they know im there to provide what they are looking for.

currently for my project im looking to connect with multiple audiences. and how best to be the one to appeal to each one by understanding them. what they want, whats important to them, what turns them on/off, where they are, what sort of advertising works on them, ect.

im looking at the budget concious buyer vs the average spender vs the ones that spend more than what (i think) a reasonable person should ever spend. i got the idea from watching makeup girls on youtube. everything gets classified as drugstore(for poors), midrange(majority), and high end(for those lucky enough to be able to afford it) and yet product wise, there really is not much difference between the ranges. its all price, perception, and marketing. i think women are incredibly easy to market to once you understand them.

then i look at the niches within the spending groups. for my purposes im looking at crafters, moms, teenage girls, young adults, minimalists, eco concious types (vegan, zero wasters, anti consumerists), the glamour queens, the hood rats, the goths, the preps, the basic bitches(not deragatory), LBGT crowd, the stoners, the in crown, the misfits. all of these people are my customers. the audience already exists, you just gotta learn how to talk to them. and be willing to listen to them.

 

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[azsno]

Stop Building Stuff
(Originally posted here and then here.)


I worked for a company that was building a content creation platform.

I worked for a startup that was building a new social network.

I worked for another company that was building a call centre.

I've had many many clients that were building websites.

A few that were building an app.

And a few that were building email lists.


Sigh...



I created a deck for a client a few years ago, where I tried (unsuccessfully!) to stop them "building" stuff and provide value instead.

I've added it in it's entirety here to sneakily throw in some marketing education.
(It follows on from the short video in this post.)

The most important point is the last slide.

The next time you're "building" something...

Think of WHO you're helping, and WHY.

​

This makes total sense! I know this is an old thread, but information is never obsolete! This pretty much echos a pod cast I listened to yesterday concerning Amazon sales. Just because you have a ton of people looking at your product, doesn't mean its a money maker. According to the podcast, on the Amazon platform, a potential buyer who looks, but doesn't buy counts against your algorithm and can actually hurt your position. How many of us are window shoppers? I take my kid to the mall some weekends so he can play games at the Microsoft store, and then go buy a game from the cheap bin at GameStop (I never let him buy a full price game, he pays for it himself, and I have helped him create a spreadsheet to keep track of his money), and we look in a lot of shops but don't buy. Lurkers who don't see a need or value, will never convert into buyers.

 

[SYK]

ive always seen it as the audience is already there and it shouldnt have to be built. if you need to build an audience than something is wrong.

I think you're confusing 'market' and 'audience'.

The market is something that should already be there before you produce anything.

Your audience is a subsection of this market that you build and work out exactly where they are, how they communicate and how you're going to get in front of them.

Example: I have a fitness product. Before launching I asked myself who uses this kind of product more than anyone.

Answer: runners.

So prior to launch I built up a 100k running insta account and 11k email list of runners so when my product was ready to launch I had a direct line to my audience.

If you build an engaged audience that listens to your every word, selling will never be a problem.

They could be in FB groups, blogs, social media, just about anywhere... you just gotta find 'em.