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I believe the first validation of product must come regardless of marketing skills. If you built a side project and no one is using it, it is a product problem,
by soneca 9y ago
I believe the first validation of product must come regardless of marketing skills. If you built a side project and no one is using it, it is a product problem, not a marketing problem.
Actually, I believe a clever marketing tactic can be counter-productive in such an early stage, as you might lure customers to a product that doesn't deliver value.
So, your first few paying customers should come from building the product and putting it in front of few people (your personal and professional network, Show HN, Reddit).
After you have these first customers then it is time to stop underestimating the marketing effort a successful product demands.
- mgkimsal 9y ago> If you built a side project and no one is using it, it is a product problem, not a marketing problem. If you built it but no one knows about it to come and use it, how is that a product problem?
- soneca 9y agoIf "no one" means exactly zero person beside yourself you would be right. To grow from exactly zero to a few dozens of potential customers you don't need marketing. You need to tell people what you built. This is not an euphemism for marketing, its exactly what it means, to tell people that you build it. The very first sale must come from yourself telling people you already know pra reaching people in online forums. I don't classify this as "marketing". At most, you need to do sales, not marketing.
- valuearb 9y agoEverything you’ve described, including product design, is marketing. Yes, sales is a very narrow part of marketing to. Marketing is knowing who you are selling to, what they want, and how best to reach them.