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Stop Building Stuff

Puppy

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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.

well i sure am confused now. didnt we both say the same thing essentially? you said it way more clearly and concisely tho
 
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minirich

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I think was Andy Black originally meant was:
Don't build it just for the purpose of building it.
audience -> don't build it to have built an audience

building the audience is a subsequent step in your business strategy. You create your product with a special purpose in mind, AND THEN you start attracting customers aka build the audience.
 

Ity

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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.


wZ9KL4o.png


2bc3eAE.png


6mOLzeN.png


PhA8xji.png


JeW8uXH.png


yqvUFGL.png


nHLjrKE.png





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

Think of WHO you're helping, and WHY.


LOVED it. You delivered value just by posting this.
Thanks Andy :)
 

Paladin

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I was watching an investment show today and when the people pitching said "we invented a new category and have to educate people" everyone slapped their heads.

Is it building a business when you have to convince people they have a problem even before you convince them your product solves it.

This is a strong mindset post and I am taking a moment to analyze myself to see if I'm in tune with my audience enough. I have one tab open here and another to my free fb group, where I'm answering all the questions that came in today.

I think that a big hurdle for people is the fear of giving away the milk for free. That if you tell people your best content, they'll never buy anything from you.

Hopefully, I'm picking up what Andy is putting down. To focus on giving value to your audience first. But if I'm wrong, I accept my chastisement!
 
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Andy Black

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I was watching an investment show today and when the people pitching said "we invented a new category and have to educate people" everyone slapped their heads.

Is it building a business when you have to convince people they have a problem even before you convince them your product solves it.

This is a strong mindset post and I am taking a moment to analyze myself to see if I'm in tune with my audience enough. I have one tab open here and another to my free fb group, where I'm answering all the questions that came in today.

I think that a big hurdle for people is the fear of giving away the milk for free. That if you tell people your best content, they'll never buy anything from you.

Hopefully, I'm picking up what Andy is putting down. To focus on giving value to your audience first. But if I'm wrong, I accept my chastisement!
Thanks for this. The first paragraph especially. I’d face-palm too.
 

JG17

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Is it building a business when you have to convince people they have a problem even before you convince them your product solves it.

I don't disagree in general but don't underestimate how naive, uneducated and stubborn people can be, especially older folks.
 

Saavik

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but don't underestimate how naive, uneducated and stubborn people can be, especially older folks.
Absolutely, but if they are stubborn about your product, you better refrain from trying to sell to them. :)

I have tried the "educating" approach early in my entrepreneurial endeavours, and it's like pushing a rock up the hill (with frequent mudslides).
 
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AristotlesPupil

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Stop trying to "build a personal brand".



Want to be known as "The XYZ Guy"?

Help people with XYZ.
I know I am resurrecting a necro comment, but since this thread is so valuable I have to disagree with this specific point. Depending on what industry your looking into, a brand which conveys status can be of extremely high value. Of course in the very beginning the juice may not be worth the squeeze, but in certain industries being able to establish a brand, regardless of your actual competence/value proposition can be a game changer.

Take Coca Cola for example. People buy Coca Cola because of the brand, if you make people taste two colas with a mouth rinse in between, they'll say they prefer the Coca Cola if they are allowed to see the brands of the cola they are drinking on each try. However, if you blindfold them, many of them will say that they prefer a specific cola "because it tasted better than the other one and they know Coca Cola is the best", when they have actually drunk an off-brand.

Many people buy Apple only for the brand (although not all). Same for Mercedes, Range Rover, Cadillac, etc. Is the entry level C-class Mercedes a better car than a Honda Accord? In terms of value and quality, I 'd think the opposite, yet most people with that budget evidently go for the Merc, at least where I live, because of the brand only pretty much.

If you can cultivate an image of STATUS around your brand then a brand can be the value in your product in and of itself.

In this case, the brand wouldn't be the HOW, the brand would be the WHAT: the person being associated with status by being associated to your brand. Or feeling better about your product simply because of its higher status, its underlying "quality" being irrelevant as long as it's not massively inferior.

This brand-based selling is a much different take, but it is a working business model. Many businesses have built their customer base by becoming known everywhere on Tik Tok in certain age groups. So then all the teenagers talk about that stuff at school, and when they need to buy something in that market (often with dad/mom's credit card) they choose the familiar brand they keep seeing and keep talking about. Then the word spreads through school, and the younger kids want to do what the cool older kids are doing and they copy them. You can raise enough capital off of that to then expand your horizons once the fad becomes faded.
 

Andy Black

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I know I am resurrecting a necro comment, but since this thread is so valuable I have to disagree with this specific point. Depending on what industry your looking into, a brand which conveys status can be of extremely high value. Of course in the very beginning the juice may not be worth the squeeze, but in certain industries being able to establish a brand, regardless of your actual competence/value proposition can be a game changer.

Take Coca Cola for example. People buy Coca Cola because of the brand, if you make people taste two colas with a mouth rinse in between, they'll say they prefer the Coca Cola if they are allowed to see the brands of the cola they are drinking on each try. However, if you blindfold them, many of them will say that they prefer a specific cola "because it tasted better than the other one and they know Coca Cola is the best", when they have actually drunk an off-brand.

Many people buy Apple only for the brand (although not all). Same for Mercedes, Range Rover, Cadillac, etc. Is the entry level C-class Mercedes a better car than a Honda Accord? In terms of value and quality, I 'd think the opposite, yet most people with that budget evidently go for the Merc, at least where I live, because of the brand only pretty much.

If you can cultivate an image of STATUS around your brand then a brand can be the value in your product in and of itself.

In this case, the brand wouldn't be the HOW, the brand would be the WHAT: the person being associated with status by being associated to your brand. Or feeling better about your product simply because of its higher status, its underlying "quality" being irrelevant as long as it's not massively inferior.

This brand-based selling is a much different take, but it is a working business model. Many businesses have built their customer base by becoming known everywhere on Tik Tok in certain age groups. So then all the teenagers talk about that stuff at school, and when they need to buy something in that market (often with dad/mom's credit card) they choose the familiar brand they keep seeing and keep talking about. Then the word spreads through school, and the younger kids want to do what the cool older kids are doing and they copy them. You can raise enough capital off of that to then expand your horizons once the fad becomes faded.
My point is you build your personal brand by helping/entertaining people, not by having a goal to build a personal brand. I contend that people have their goals wrong.
 

Andy Black

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God. So what should I build ?
Building an audience is a by-product. I’m not saying NOT to build an audience, just to put the first thing first.

What are you trying to do?
 

MTF

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A few months ago, when I launched my newsletter, I joined a subreddit about David Goggins to learn more about my potential audience. My main aim was just to interact with people, get inspired, inspire others and encourage some people to sign up for my newsletter.

I recently checked the subreddit for new posts and saw this (u/discomfortclub is me):

re.png

re2.png

This is what happens when you focus on simply helping people. It was a very unexpected (and very nice) post showing that my efforts haven't gone unnoticed.
 

Simon Angel

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A few months ago, when I launched my newsletter, I joined a subreddit about David Goggins to learn more about my potential audience. My main aim was just to interact with people, get inspired, inspire others and encourage some people to sign up for my newsletter.

I recently checked the subreddit for new posts and saw this (u/discomfortclub is me):

View attachment 43949

View attachment 43951

This is what happens when you focus on simply helping people. It was a very unexpected (and very nice) post showing that my efforts haven't gone unnoticed.

Great job man.
 
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Andy Black

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A few months ago, when I launched my newsletter, I joined a subreddit about David Goggins to learn more about my potential audience. My main aim was just to interact with people, get inspired, inspire others and encourage some people to sign up for my newsletter.

I recently checked the subreddit for new posts and saw this (u/discomfortclub is me):

View attachment 43949

View attachment 43951

This is what happens when you focus on simply helping people. It was a very unexpected (and very nice) post showing that my efforts haven't gone unnoticed.
Well done @MTF !!

Reminds me of this:
The TL;DR about positioning yourself

Want to get known as "The XYZ Guy"?

1) Talk about XYZ.

2) Help people with XYZ.

3) Be seen to help people with XYZ.

And this thread:
 

Andy Black

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heavy_industry

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@heavy_industry ... curious what your thoughts are.

  • Building real estate is about creating homes for people, not about rising concrete blocks.
  • Biology is about learning about the nature of life, not about microscopes or Petri dishes
  • Business is about solving problems, not about "building stuff".

Don't confuse the mission with the methods that you end up using. Do not confuse the goal with the tools.

The basic mission of any business is to help people by solving a problem, and then selling the solution to the masses.

"Building stuff" is what you will end up doing, as a means of getting to this goal. But don't get stuck in it. Otherwise it will only narrow your vision and you will forget about what actually matters.


By using this approach, you are not only going to increase the likelihood of better financial outcomes in the long run, but you will actually help motivate you and your team to do the work.

"We're here to put a dent in the universe" - Steve Jobs

That's something that will get you out of bed in the morning.

Also, since we can now focus on the mission, which is solving the problem, we can be flexible in our thinking and we can adjust our strategy in order to get to the actual goal in a more effective manner, instead of burning away time and money to "build stuff".




On the other hand, I do believe that all experience is good experience.

And even if you get into the rabbit hole of "building stuff" that nobody needs or wants, you may be able to gain a substantial amount of experience and relevant skills that could be used in your future ventures. An idea which I've elaborated in depth in this thread.


With that being said, I do believe that it's a good idea to test the market before jumping head first into your next project.

Something which is explained in this thread created by @Antifragile , at point number 7:

"Think in bets. Be pragmatic. Test your product before building it"



Thanks @Andy Black for making this thread.
This is definitely something I will keep reminding myself if I'll ever get stuck in the "building stuff" phase.
 
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Andy Black

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  • Building real estate is about creating homes for people, not about rising concrete blocks.
  • Biology is about learning about the nature of life, not about microscopes or Petri dishes
  • Business is about solving problems, not about "building stuff".

Don't confuse the mission with the methods that you end up using. Do not confuse the goal with the tools.

The basic mission of any business is to help people by solving a problem, and then selling the solution to the masses.

"Building stuff" is what you will end up doing, as a means of getting to this goal. But don't get stuck in it. Otherwise it will only narrow your vision and you will forget about what actually matters.


By using this approach, you are not only going to increase the likelihood of better financial outcomes in the long run, but you will actually help motivate you and your team to do the work.

"We're here to put a dent in the universe" - Steve Jobs

That's something that will get you out of bed in the morning.

Also, since we can now focus on the mission, which is solving the problem, we can be flexible in our thinking and we can adjust our strategy in order to get to the actual goal in a more effective manner, instead of burning away time and money to "build stuff".




On the other hand, I do believe that all experience is good experience.

And even if you get into the rabbit hole of "building stuff" that nobody needs or wants, you may be able to gain a substantial amount of experience and relevant skills that could be used in your future ventures. An idea which I've elaborated in depth in this thread.


With that being said, I do believe that it's a good idea to test the market before jumping head first into your next project.

Something which is explained in this thread created by @Antifragile , at point number 7:

"Think in bets. Be pragmatic. Test your product before building it"



Thanks @Andy Black for making this thread.
This is definitely something I will keep reminding myself if I'll ever get stuck in the "building stuff" phase.
There's another helpful way of thinking encapsulated in the line "Start as close to the end as possible."

Sometimes people's goal is to get someone on a call so they can figure out how to help them and if it's a good fit.

So they build a website, create lots of articles, rank via SEO, get visitors, get them onto an email newsletter, send an automated email series, that gets some people to book.

That's a great way to scale. But if you've not made a sale yet then maybe you can find people in a forum or Facebook group, help them, and end up on calls. No website needed. No fancy email automation needed.
 

Andy Black

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Bump, for those building marketplaces and audiences.
 
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WJK

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Bump, for those building marketplaces and audiences.
I agree. I've watched a bunch of people spend a whole bunch of time and money to create things that feed their ego rather than create a business.
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.
So true. You are NOT supposed to be your own audience. It's really hard to get paid by that guy in the mirror.
 

Aidan04

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"We're here to put a dent in the universe" - Steve Jobs
As an inventor, this quote is permanently stuck in the back of my head from Steve.

One small device that fits your pocket fundamentally changed everything about society and gave countless industries and people value.

That is why I do this. To put something in valuable the hands of people and change their lives.

The audience that comes with it is just a byproduct.
 

Andy Black

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I've watched a bunch of people spend a whole bunch of time and money to create things that feed their ego rather than create a business
I think a lot of people go into their batcave to build stuff because that's what school and college has taught us to do, and as a way of avoiding engaging with the market - because we don't think we're "enough".

It's back to that 8 minute clip in here:
 
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DCG

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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.


wZ9KL4o.png


2bc3eAE.png


6mOLzeN.png


PhA8xji.png


JeW8uXH.png


yqvUFGL.png


nHLjrKE.png





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

Think of WHO you're helping, and WHY.


Really Changed my mindset about how to make products, I was doing what I wanted to do and not what the market wants me to do. Thanks Andy
 

Andy Black

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Bump for those of you deep in your bat-cave building stuff but who haven't spoken to anyone yet.
 

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