A Great Product Will Not Sell Itself
A Great Product Will Not Sell Itself
A common and dangerous myth among founders, particularly those with a technical background, is that if you simply build a great product, customers will magically appear. This "build it and they will come" mindset is a recipe for failure.
Marketing is Not Optional
- Invisible Marketing: Companies that appear to have products that "sell themselves" (e.g., Apple, Basecamp) are actually masters of marketing. Their marketing is so effective and deeply integrated into their product and brand that it becomes invisible.
- Luck vs. Strategy: While some companies get lucky with early word-of-mouth, relying on luck is not a business strategy. The only reliable way to build a successful company is to have both a great product and great marketing.
Founders Must Learn Marketing
- You Can't Outsource Strategy Early On: While you can hire freelancers or agencies to execute specific marketing tactics (like running ads or writing copy), you cannot outsource the core marketing strategy in the early days.
- The Founder's Role: As a founder, you must learn enough about marketing to:
- Develop the initial strategy to get your company off the ground.
- Know which tactics to pursue and in what order.
- Be able to effectively hire and manage marketers later on, and know if they are doing a good job.
The vast majority of startups fail not because of a bad product, but because they fail to find customers. Developing a marketing tool belt is a critical, non-delegable responsibility for a founder.