I have a tendency to Build Products in the Dark.
Many of the projects that I work on as a solo founder aren’t announced, celebrated, touted, and proclaimed from the rooftops of the internet.
I’m not naturally drawn to sharing regular updates and keeping people engaged and interested. It feels like a chore, more of a distraction than a boon.
It’s against all of the rules we’ve come to hear about. Build your audience! Build anticipation, excitement, curiosity! Building in the Dark is not following the playbook.
Those we see with successful businesses are also quite visible on social media, making their opinions heard, sharing what they’ve learned, engaging in the conversation.
Of course those are the successful businesses we’ve heard about. They’ve elected to do the work to find a slot in our mental stream. The other successful businesses we haven’t heard about are still humming along, avoiding distractions, Building valuable products in the Dark.
Some days, I wish it felt a little easier to barge my way into people’s inboxes and disrupt their day with my project updates. I’m not like that in my day-to-day interactions, so it’s no surprise that doesn’t carry over to an online presence.
I spend most of my time observing, learning, refactoring, focusing, building, getting better.
And when it’s time, I bring my projects to light. Not with fanfare, or the expectations of immediate growth or traction. Not searching for the missing social praise.
Most of the time, the primary satisfaction comes from within. I made something from nothing. That’s neat. Unfortunately, that doesn’t pay the bills.
But, do you have to conduct mass conversations in order to run a thriving business, or will personal conversations do?
Through observation and informed one-on-one interactions with buyers and colleagues, the products that I build become stronger, more valuable, more in tune with what my customers and prospects are really looking for.
There’s certainly value to building your momentum in the public. But, it’s also okay to Build in the Dark.
