"To build or to sell. That is the question" - (Not) Shakespeare
I realised recently that almost every conversation I have with founders, bootstrappers, and freelancers, centres around the 2 issues of building and selling. (Often it’s a question of which to do first, but more on that later.) They seem to be timeless skills worth building in business and in life.
The conversations usually start with burning questions:
Do I create an MVP first so I have something to sell? If so, what do I create?
Do I find an audience first, talk to them about their problems, and then create solutions?
Do I need to use TikTok?
Do I build this product feature because I think it’s great, or do I do some research first to see if it’s needed?
Do I scratch my own itch and build X for myself, then find others with the same problem?
Do I need a brand?
How do I create and sell value?
How do I spot opportunities so I can build and sell solutions?
How do I "do marketing" for this?
How do I create a customer avatar?
Do I go niche? Or aim for a big market?
Is this possible with no-code or do I need to find a developer?
How do I use The Mom Test correctly?!
…the list goes on.
I get asked about building and selling so much that I thought it might be useful to spend some time diving into the topic publicly, as a way to attract conversation, find new perspectives and share some best practices.
Regardless of the order in which they happen, learning to build and learning to sell have been 2 of the most worthwhile activities I have ever pursued. I'm no master, but I've built and co-founded businesses and mentored and coached hundreds (maybe thousands) of people to do the same. Those 2 skills don't just apply to businesses, they equally apply to building a mindset, achieving personal goals, building better habits, and yes…selling a child on the need to eat their vegetables.
So with this in mind and diving right in, I'll take a step back and start here: execution is everything.
Derek Sivers probably has the most succinct description of this concept in his blog post, "Ideas are just a multiplier of execution". In essence, he says "Ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions."
This applies to both building and selling. Nothing happens if nothing happens. It's the first question I ask people who bring me a business problem - what are you already doing? It's surprising how often the answer is "nothing" considering the fact that "action produces information".
In episode after episode of The First 10 Podcast, everyone from solopreneurs and venture-backed founders, to freelancers and side-hustlers agree that you just gotta get out there and start having conversations. The idea of getting out of the building has never been more important than today when access to all the information you need to build and sell something is free (!). The only thing that can't be done for you is taking the steps and getting your hands dirty.
So here is where we will start.
