There's a popular idea buzzing around the online world of SaaS entrepreneurs: kickstart your new venture by building a landing page first and seeing if people bite.
I'll be honest with you, I totally fell for this. It seemed like a no-brainer: nail your marketing before you pour hours into building a product.
But, my tune has changed. Why? Because I've come to realize that products aren't just sold by rattling off a list of benefits or creating sleek landing pages. They're sold by the experiences they provide, through good ol' word of mouth, and by giving people a particular 'feeling.'
This 'feeling' is tricky to pin down, and even if you could put it into words, splashing it on a landing page won't confirm if your product's a winner or even if people want it. They have to actually experience the product, even if its just for a few minutes.
Think about this: most products fly off the shelves for reasons very different from why people end up loving them. Picture stumbling onto a landing page for the iPhone a few years before it came out. You'd probably be scratching your head, and I doubt you'd be clamoring for it.
So, would it be fair then for someone with an interesting or innovative idea to toss their idea in the 'no-go' pile because they can’t come up with a landing page that generates buzz?
No way. Unfortunately, I don't have a magic bullet to validate your idea. But here's what I do think: keep your MVP lean, and get people to experience it early and often. Listen to what those experiences are like.
Figuring out "how lean?" is a tough call.
I've been there. I've kept things too lean in the past, and I've also overworked myself revamping a product. It's a tough balancing act, but with experience, you'll start to get a feel for how much effort a product deserves.
Here's another thing: you also start learning how to pick up on valuable insights and how to assess the potential of a product idea from early conversations, even before you've built anything. It's all about trusting your gut, learning from your experiences, and constantly adapting.
I (still) firmly believe that early marketing experimentation is beneficial, and overall, I still appreciate the landing page concept. This is largely because it encourages tech-centric builders to foster connections with people. If you're already savvy in marketing, it might be wiser to shift your focus more towards the product and technology components.
So, while a landing page may not effectively validate your product, dabbling in marketing exercises can still be valuable. Staying innovative in your marketing and enhancing your communication skills are crucial aspects of the entire product development process.
To wrap it all up, the takeaway here is not to disregard the landing page or marketing strategy outright. Instead, it's about understanding the value and limitations of these tools in the larger scope of your product journey. Both the product itself and the experiences it offers should play central roles in your validation process. If you lean too heavily on marketing without a solid product backing it up, you might find yourself with plenty of interest but no real engagement or satisfaction.
Every step of your journey—from those initial conversations, to product development, to marketing strategies—provides insights and opportunities for growth. Embrace each of these steps, learn from them, and keep moving forward. In the world of entrepreneurship, adaptability and a reasonable amount of stick-with-it-ness are your best allies.