Stacking the Bricks

I would like to go on a similar path one day, with following differences:

* not quitting a job, change job, negotiate higher pay, long weekends (done ;)

* figure out what side project I actually want to pour myself into

Based on what I hear, B2B is easier than B2C, and info-products (book/course/e.t.c.) are easier than SaaS. Bonus points if the problem solved by the course could be turned into a SaaS later on.

After I would have my bright idea, I would start reaching some potential customers, (blog? mailing-list? cold-emails? conference talks? this is the biggest problem for me probably?) to get some confirmation somebody would actually buy the product. I know there is a cottage industry just for creating landing pages and getting emails of potential customers.

After I would see the idea has traction, I would have time (due to my 4-day/week job) to write/record the damn thing, and sell it, to the people that presumably wanted it enough to be on my damn mailing list :D

My big inspirations in this regard are Amy Hoy [0] with her methaphorical brick-stacking course and Nate Berkopec [1] with his book on ruby.

My biggest set-backs are that I am mostly too tired to actually execute on the plan, so I mostly use my extended weekends for more recovery/family time :)

Second, I am not sure I have enough expertise on a anything that would warrant writing such book/make course?

I.e. I was thinking about writing about Jenkins, but I am not sure my expertise is enough, and I work…

Amy Hoy has a few products that cover launches. Launches are part of a holistic business strategy based on direct marketing concepts. So marketing starts even before product development. You collect marketing materials at the same time you research/build your product (ensures you don't build something no one wants to buy.)

This is a very opinionated way to do marketing that is different from "traditional marketing." I feel it is the most effective, but it also requires more work (mainly research to truly understand the customer).

I would describe the strategy as "precision-marketing." When most people think of "marketing," they think of the more common "brute-force nuclear marketing." (Brute force marketing is fine for products like Coca-Cola: people already know what Coke is, so they just need to be reminded it tastes good.)

- https://shop.stackingthebricks.com/landing-pages-that-sell

- https://stackingthebricks.com/just-fucking-ship

- https://30x500.com (They "launch" a new class every few months, but if you email them they let you sign up.)

There are many other good sources on "precision-marketing," but I think Amy Hoy is the most tech-adjacent.

Excerpt from https://stackingthebricks.com/just-fucking-ship:

Here’s how I (almost) always launch: 1. 2-3 blog posts 2-4 weeks before, to build up my list 2. and 3-5 emails starting 2 weeks or so before, to build anticipation, each one leading to the other 3. announcing the launch date & time 2-3…

Marketer here who also does software engineering. If I were to define the fundamental aspects of marketing, it would be as follows (I also have a note about feedback loops after):

1. Customer empathy: you need to know their pains, dreams, opinions, frustrations, and more. The first step of marketing is to always meet people where they are the most frustrated. Good resources for this are Amy Hoy’s Sales Safari [1], or Netnography [2]. I also like Sean D’Souzas Brain Audit [3]. Sean’s is the most accessible.

2. Copywriting: Once you can empathize with the persona / customer, you’ll need to learn how to relate your product or service to the person’s problems, needs, or dreams. There are many scammy resources out there, but the person who does his marketing in the most ethical way is again Sean D’souza [4]. Robert Bly is also good [5].

3. Distribution: once you solve for customer empathy and the right positioning (through compelling copywriting), the final step is to distribute your copies in various media. Weinberg’s Traction is a good starting point [6].

Some will recommend Russell Brunson, Sam Ovens, Gary Halbert, etc, but these folks are in the extreme end of marketing, and may not suit everyone. Their methods work for “get rich quick” online courses or coaching programs, but not for real products or services where you need to sustain a brand over time. The resources I mentioned are a good foundation for ethical marketing.

RE: Feedback loops - the fastest way to get a…

The best validation is a deep understanding of the target group and their problems. Let me give you an example.

First, pick the target audience you are either part of, or familiar with. In my case, I chose new and aspiring managers.

Second, learn about their pains. Talk to them, see what they discuss on Reddit, Quora, and wherever else they gather. In my case, I see questions about communicating and dealing with difficult people and dealing with various corporate processes.

Third, figure out what they pay for. Some groups buy books. Some pay for SaaS. Some prefer webinars, screencasts or courses. The options are endless, but the focus should be on what the customers already buy, not what we can easily make. In my case, new managers often buy books.

Four, pick one pain and fix it. Now you don't really need validation in the conventional sense of the word because now you _know_ what the people want and you _know_ what they pay for. I picked the communication challenges new managers face because I have studied this topic extensively before.

Five, implement. In my case, I started writing a book, even though I have never written a book before. But I know there are people I can help, so there is a chance that I actually will. My progress so far (shameless plug, accept my apology and please remove it if you consider it inappropriate) https://www.thenewrole.com/

This process is a somewhat simplified version of what a marketing expert Amy Hoy talks about. I suggest you check…

> Maybe it's the wrong mindset, but imo compensation is precisely why the internet stopped being like that. When people are doing things for free, there is generally a maximum to the amount of effort they will put into things.

It's the other way around. When there is no compensation, people do stuff for fun, out of love, and not for optimisation, ROI, DAU/MAU, etc.

"Back in the days" - pre-dot-com - the website was part of the hobby. People wanted to put their knowledge out there, maybe for pride, maybe just "why not?". And the site was theirs, it looked the way they wanted, it was organised they way they were thinking[^1]. But when money comes in, one has to deal with making more visitors, making the site according to trends, with negative space material auto dark/light design, constantly and regularly put in updates, add JSON-LD microdata... it's endless. And the fun dies. On platforms, everything looks the same, it doesn't feel like a home any more, it's not yours. It's a job.

This is what kills quirky, niche little sites and communities.

[^1]: https://stackingthebricks.com/how-blogs-broke-the-web/

> haven't talked to many potentially users?

Any bad answer to these questions is a showstopper, yes.
It's an indicator that this company is definitely going to fail.

In your example, not having talked to many customers is the classical Juicero approach: Build a solution, then search for a problem that this solution is solving.

Not talking to customers means not understanding if there is demand for something, and if there are customers who would like to pay for a solution. (Problems exist in markets where target groups are not used or not willing to pay for digital solutions)

If you're starting out, I highly recommend reading the blog of Amy Hoy and Alex Hillmann (https://stackingthebricks.com/) - they defend the idea to first go on a "sales safari" where you simply obvserve your target group, and then find a solution for their pains.

As a founder, you want to continuously talk to potenttial customers about your idea or your prototype: make them use it and perform thinking-aloud tests.