The danger with this approach is that you'll restrict yourself to products that people know that they want to buy before you even build it. It would be great you could validate every product this way, but sadly many products have to be used before people are willing to pay.
This hardly a "danger" though. I realize it's fashionable around here to create brilliant new ideas for startups, but the overwhelming majority of successful companies are selling "products that people know they want to buy."
One of the most useful pieces of knowledge I got from a longtime entrepreneur was "don't build anything until you have an order for at least one." A lot of important details emerge from that statement once you analyze it.
Comments
The danger with this approach is that you'll restrict yourself to products that people know that they want to buy before you even build it. It would be great you could validate every product this way, but sadly many products have to be used before people are willing to pay.
This hardly a "danger" though. I realize it's fashionable around here to create brilliant new ideas for startups, but the overwhelming majority of successful companies are selling "products that people know they want to buy."
One of the most useful pieces of knowledge I got from a longtime entrepreneur was "don't build anything until you have an order for at least one." A lot of important details emerge from that statement once you analyze it.
It's not a store, it's venture capitalism writ small. Just like Kickstarter, Sellaband, etc.