Don’t sell if it’s not done…

Or you’re not sure you can deliver.

It’s tempting, get some sales while doing the work, after all we all want to be sure it’s going to work before putting in the time…

but at the same time, it’s inefficient.

You may not know how to position the product because it’s still flexible, you’ll make promises to each person that it’s just what they need, and each of those promises is different than what the end product becomes, so you can’t live up to them.

You’ll also be taking that inefficient approach and using it to distract you from the core of what you’re trying to do. Build something.

Don’t be scared it’s not going to work out. Most things in life don’t. It’s unavoidable. You’ll find out when it’s ready, and you’re ready to start selling. Two things are guaranteed though, you’ll come out smarter, and you’ll have something interesting to talk about in the future. Those are wins. Focus on them.

P.S. Selling a minimum viable product is different than what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about trying to sell prior to that stage, it’s a waste. It needs a base level of functionality, something to show.