I keep seeing new founders skip the basic math before they even start

A friend in Denver spent 8 months building an app idea without checking if people would pay for it. He finally asked around and found out his target customers only spend about $5 a month on similar tools, while his costs were way higher. Now he's stuck with a product that can't make money. On one side, people say you should just build something you love and figure it out later. On the other, you should do the simple price and cost math on a napkin before writing a single line of code. Which side are you on, and what's the first number you actually check?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordancoleman4d ago

Man, that's rough for your friend. I've seen that happen way too often. Isn't the first number you should check just the absolute most someone would realistically pay for what you're making? Like, go ask a few real people straight up before you even design a logo.

jasonp304d ago

Oh man, that's the truth. I once spent a whole week designing a fancy app icon for an idea I had. Felt like a genius. Then I asked my brother what he'd pay for an app like that and he said "like, three bucks?" That was a real "back to the drawing board" moment, and by drawing board I mean the trash can. It's so easy to fall in love with your own work before you find out if anyone even wants it.