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Comment by 1123581321

2 years ago

And he only started because companies were telling him it would be easier if they could just pay him.

Anyone who has a free thing, sell something that produces an expendable invoice or receipt. Makes it easy to use company funds to pay for company work. “Buy me a coffee” buttons don’t really cut it.

This is great. Reminds me of the Derek Sivers post [1], "Don't start a business until people are asking you to."

1. https://sive.rs/asking

  • Sorry, this is bogus.

    "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." or whatever the quote is.

    There are tons of businesses selling products that are ideas brought to life from scratching their own itch or simply a desire to make something and put it out there.

    Personally, I am one of those people who started a business based on an idea with no validation before launching it.

    I built it in its entirety, then went to places and people who I expected would want it and low-and-behold, I am making a living doing it.

    • > There are tons of businesses selling products that are ideas brought to life from scratching their own itch or simply a desire to make something and put it out there.

      I'd bet money that the number of businesses which fail because they boil down to "a solution in search of a problem" is vastly larger than the number of businesses that succeeded despite performing "no validation".

      That said, "making something" and "starting a business" are two different things. I would challenge you to point out where in the post he argues against making something, especially for the reasons you mention.

      > I am one of those people who started a business based on an idea with no validation before launching it. I built it in its entirety, then went to places and people who I expected would want it and low-and-behold, I am making a living doing it.

      Consider the possibility that you're in the minority there, and that you succeeded despite performing no validation.

      > Sorry, this is bogus.

      So if it doesn't apply to you personally, or in all cases, then you dismiss it as "bogus", full stop? Are you in the habit of doing this often?

      Also, for future reference, it's "lo-and-behold", not "low-and-behold". [1]

      1. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lo_and_behold

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