Sell first, build second
Something interesting happens when you ask someone about their next big idea.
Their eyes light up. They describe their vision in detail. They talk about the features, the design, the tech they’ll use. You can feel their excitement building with every word.
But when you ask them, “How do you know people will buy it?”—that light dims a bit.
“Well, everyone I’ve talked to loves the idea…”
Here’s the thing about building products: excitement isn’t enough.
Comments ain’t customers. Likes ain’t cash. And “I’d totally buy that!” rarely turns into actual sales.
The good news is, there’s a better way. It’s called selling first.
Why selling first works
Think about the traditional way of launching a product:
- Get an idea
- Spend months building it
- Polish everything until it’s perfect
- Launch
- Hope people buy it
Notice that last part? Hope.
Smart founders don’t hope. They know.
They know because they’ve already sold it. Before building anything. Before spending months of their life. Before investing their savings.
Let me be clear: This isn’t about taking people’s money and running. If you’re in it for the wrong reasons, stop reading now.
This is about validating your idea with the only metric that matters: actual customers willing to pull out their credit cards and pay for your thing.
The magic of early buyers
When you sell first, something fascinating happens. Your early buyers become your best advisors.
These aren’t casual observers giving hypothetical feedback. These are people who believe in your vision enough to invest early. Their input is solid gold.
They’ll tell you exactly what they need. What problems they’re trying to solve. What features matter most. Better yet, they’re invested in your success—because they want what you’re building.
Making it work
Starting with sales doesn’t mean you need a fancy pitch or a perfect plan. You just need:
- A clear vision of what you’re building
- Honest communication about your timeline
- A simple way for people to pre-order
The best part? This approach works for almost any type of product—software, courses, physical products, services—if it can be sold, it can be pre-sold.
Your next move
If you’re sitting on an idea, consider this: What if you could validate it now? What if you could know—with absolute certainty—that people want what you’re planning to build?
You can. Just sell it first. Build it second. And never waste time on unwanted products again.
Again, the goal isn’t to get rich quick. It’s about respecting time—yours and your future customers’. Most importantly, it’s about building something people actually want, not just something you think they might want.
That’s not just smart business. That’s how great products are born.