Do you focus on monetisation and distribution before actually building your product?
On Twitter, I often come across impulsive builders. They get an idea, build it quickly, and then feel disappointed when nothing sells.
(Just because a creator has identified a problem in himself, it doesn’t mean there’s a big enough sample experiencing it.)
Every successful sale is preceded by:
Problem → Research → Problem validation → Idea → Execution planning → Development → Distribution/Monetization → Fixes & implementation → Expansion
In an ideal world, this process would run smoothly, but reality is usually bumpy.
What process do you follow?
Do you plan monetisation and distribution first, and then build?
Or do you build first and figure out marketing, distribution, and sales afterwards?
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Most Twitter impulsive founders do this:
→ 3 months building an app
→ 7 days marketing
→ Then wonder why it fails
they should do this instead:
→ 7 days building a solid MVP
→ 3 months marketing, testing, and growing
That’s how B2C apps actually win
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@murad_hoque Print this like a guidebook, pls!
@busmark_w_nika some people will get offended
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@murad_hoque Why? 😭
@busmark_w_nika impulsive founders don't want to listen from sub continental marketers. they think it's a sales pitch. though some of them are nice. I have decided to make an exception for you. you said so I will deliver
Monetisation and distribution have to be part of the initial idea. I wouldn't build anything before having conviction in my ability to monetise and distribute it. Monetisation as an afterthought is a bit like shooting before you've picked something to aim at.
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@aliderregia How do you set the pricing strategy?
@busmark_w_nika Depends on a few things; What are people currently paying to solve the problem? How much does the problem costs a user? How much it cost to provide the service to the user?
I'd say these are the main considerations.
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@aliderregia Also, covering the costs is important (from the view of maker)
@busmark_w_nika Yes, for sure, especially with AI-driven products because the margins aren't as big as standard SaaS.
IXORD
@aliderregia I agree with you that the product is more important than monetization at the start. If the product is truly good, people will be willing to pay for it. These goals are interconnected, which helps guide the next steps more effectively.
@ixord I wouldn't place one over the other, building a "company" requires having a monetizable product. A bad product wont fly and neither will bad distribution (marketing/sales)
@ixord I think in the current ecosystem distribution matters more than product. There are a huge amount of startups tackling similar problems. Plenty will have decent products only a few of them will succeed and they succeed through distribution.
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@aliderregia @ixord You need both, but a different ratio at different times.
IXORD
@aliderregia @busmark_w_nika I agree with you, this should result in a chemistry that leads to something positive xd
Cal ID
I try to think about monetisation and distribution early on - even before I start thinking about building.
If there’s no clear path to paid users or reach, it’s just a side project.
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@sanskarix Do you sometimes build just for fun without monetisation ambitions?
Cal ID
@busmark_w_nika Definitely, building for fun is a different type altogether. When we talk about serious projects that I aspire to scale, I think of monetisation first.
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@sanskarix Since I shipped many projects unsuccessfully without any monetisation model, I appreciate your approach even more! :D
Klariqo AI Voice Assistants
Monetisation and distribution should atleast be a part of the plan during initial research. I personally feel each time someone starts working on an idea, the first step should be heavy research:
How much is the total addressable market for something like this? (TAM)
How would the outreach be like? Cold calls, emails, influencers etc
What the potential price point should be, which is competitive with competitors, and also justifiable.
What are competitors doing differently? What was their process?
Most importantly, HOW is your product different from what's already out there? <IN A SINGLE LINE>
All of this should definitely be a part of the initial research, because if the answers to these are not clear from the get-go, its meant to be a disappointment later on
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@ansh_deb Wow, thank you for breaking down these! :)
If you stress about monetization before you have built the product, it will only slow you down and hinder you from building a good product. Once the product is proven to be good, you will always find a way to monetize it.
In addition, during product development, new monetization ideas may emerge that you were not even aware of at the beginning of the project.
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@d_ferencha You are probably right. Some sort of things can be handled later :)
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@alshaigy Did you also make it this way with your product? (What is your product btw?) :)
@busmark_w_nika yes actually do, my current project is in the last phase (distribution), you can check it in my profile: MiniDocuments.
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@alshaigy I am going to check it out! :)
distribution is everything, priority #1
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@elijahxox This one is quoted more often lately by makers. I agree, but keep the quality of the product.