I’m working on a SAAS app, and going against the current norm, I will NOT be building it in public.
Why not? After all, “building in public” or “engineering as marketing” can be a great way to get attention and your first users. Here are two reasons, and some food for thought for your next software project.
First, yes, “building in public” is a great way to get attention. We’re all curious about how the sausage gets made. But, who’s attention will we be getting? Would we get the attention of my target market? That depends. If you’re building software for fellow entrepreneurs and startups, then the answer is a resounding yet. However, if you’re building an app for, say, farmers or beekeepers, then probably not. My app falls in the latter category.
So now the question becomes: is this a good use of my time? Or would I be better off going to where the target market hangs out, and chatting with them there?
If this were the only concern then I’d probably still build-in-public just for fun and accountability. But, I have a second problem…
I asked my wife to reach out in a chat group to see if there would be demand for the app idea. This is for early product validation.
Lo and behold, two weeks later a tech-savvy chili farmer in a different city suddenly wants to make the exact same app. Most likely, someone from the chat group must have talked with him, and he smells opportunity. He’s not an industry insider like us, though, so he’s looking for an insider to collaborate with.
I have no idea who this guy is or what his abilities are. But, I’m not about to hand him a blueprint for how to build this app before I’ve even got it to market. I’m not about to let someone clone my app before it’s done. And yes, that has happened to others before.
It’s sad, but there are people lurking in “build-in-public” groups looking for successful products to clone. You do the hard work of product idea validation and design, and they quickly clone it and leapfrog you.
Building-in-public can be worthwhile, both as a marketing channel and for accountability. However, maybe don’t be too public about your revenue figures until your startup is established and growing.
More importantly, ask yourself the questions: Will I reach my target market by building in public? Or would I be better off networking with them elsewhere?
For me right now, the answer is elsewhere. How about for you?