Is it better to build an audience first and then launch a product? 🤔

Having an audience always helps because you would get first-hand feedback from a core group of people that are excited about your product. This will give you a chance to incorporate some of the heavy hitters before going mass.

It really depends on your specific goals and resources. Building an audience before launching a product can be beneficial, as it can help increase the visibility and potential success of your product launch. Having a pre-existing audience can also provide valuable insights and feedback on your product idea. However, building an audience can take time and resources, so it's important to consider whether it's feasible or necessary for your specific situation. Ultimately, the right approach will depend on your specific goals, resources, and target market

It can be beneficial to build an audience before launching a product, as having a pre-existing audience can help to generate interest and initial sales for the product. However, it's also important to carefully consider the specific goals of your product and business, as well as your target market and the resources available to you. For example, if you are launching a product that is targeted at a specific niche audience, it may be more effective to focus on building an audience within that niche before launching the product. This can help to ensure that there is a built-in group of potential customers who are interested in and likely to purchase the product. On the other hand, if you are launching a product that is targeted at a more general audience, it may be more effective to focus on creating a strong marketing campaign to reach a wider audience. Ultimately, the best approach will depend on your specific goals, target market, and resources. It may be helpful to consider testing different strategies and evaluating the results to determine the approach that works best for your business.

In my experience, it can be beneficial to build an audience first and then launch a product. By establishing a following before you have a product to sell, you can create a community of engaged and interested individuals who are more likely to support and promote your product when it does launch. One way to do this is by providing valuable content and building relationships with your audience. By consistently delivering value and building trust, you can turn casual followers into loyal fans who will be excited to support your product when it becomes available. Additionally, building an audience beforehand can also give you valuable insights and feedback that can inform the development of your product. By engaging with your audience and soliciting their opinions and ideas, you can create a product that meets their needs and desires more effectively. Overall, building an audience before launching a product can provide a solid foundation for success and lead to more engaged and loyal customers in the long run. If you're considering launching a product and are looking for ways to build an audience beforehand, I'm happy to chat and share some strategies that have worked for me. Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn! 💬

Yes it helps a lot in the beginning. But if the product sucks it won't matter because they'll all churn anyway (and then you'll look bad in front of that same audience). I've found newsletters to be a nice balance because people who subscribe are much more engaged. Using Twitter or Instagram is good top of funnel, but focusing on the audience you own and growing that worked for me. Hope that helps!

Yes, it really helps on the launch day. It also promotes building together in public. 🚀🚀

You'll have to do audience building either way. If you build an audience with your product already out, you'll attract a larger audience because they don't have to wait for the product and you'll be able to get valuable feedback. However, if you're in the process of building your product and have time to build an audience, do not squander the opportunity. More publicity is always good. So it is better to build an audience when you have a product already, however, if you don't have a product, you should still try to build an audience. One is better than the other, but they're both better than doing nothing to build an audience when you can. Case in point: myself. Currently building an API that lets users run AI models on the cloud with a couple of co-founders. I'm mainly the one building our audience, so when we launch, there's going to be much more publicity for our product.

Yes, building an audience first and then launching a product is generally better. Having an engaged audience before launching a product allows you to test out the product and get feedback, and it also helps to drive sales when the product is launched. Additionally, an already familiar audience with your brand is more likely to be interested in the product and purchase it.

Yes and no. It can be beneficial to build an audience before launching a product because it can help to create anticipation and interest in the product. Having an established audience can also provide a potential customer base for the product, which can be helpful in terms of generating sales and revenue. However, building an audience before launching a product can take time and resources, and it's not always necessary or the best approach in all cases. For example, if you have a unique or highly differentiated product that fills a specific need or addresses a pressing problem, it may be possible to launch the product and attract an audience at the same time. Ultimately, the best approach will depend on the specific circumstances of your product and your target market. It may be helpful to conduct market research and assess the potential demand for your product before deciding on a course of action.

Yes having Audience is helpfull

Thanks for the insightful discussion. Found a lot of resourceful answers. Digging a little deeper, how soon should one start building the audience, considering that the product release is still a little time away ?

If you have enough time to build an audience first then I would recommend doing so. Not only does it help with the launch of your product, but you also learn a lot in the process of engaging with others. Plus, people on PH are really helpful and supportive, so it's always a plus,

Yes, at least for feedback. Get feedback from initial users and then launch the product globally.

Hi Rahul, Is your product B2C or B2B ? Below are my two cents - Assuming you're B2B. Approach 1: (If you're launching in next 30 days) Prioritize - email marketing to warm contacts + prospecting emails to cold contact / decision makers + PR + affiliate partnerships + get active on Twitter, Linkedin, (Insta/FB optional) + guest blogging + guest speaking in podcasts. Spend the time in preparing content kit, closing partnerships & warming the channels Build audience alongside. Approach 2: (If you're launching in next 3+ months) Prioritize building an audience with influencers & power users in your niche. Hope it helps ! All the best. Should you need any help or just chat, feel free to connect on Twitter.

Nowadays, building an audience is getting more popular. And there is a term named minimum viable communities instead of minimum viable products. I have also written an article related to this in my newsletter. https://3tipsbylevent.beehiiv.co...

Both are equally important. Once you get some initial validation on the idea, you can start working on audience building in parallel with product development.

One does not interfere with the other. In fact, we have a whole blog post about how to create a successful startup from scratch🤩

I think that with a great product, audience will come...