"I built it, but they didn’t come" – a founder’s journey through feature overload and marketing neglect
In a world where everyone’s got “the next big thing,” one founder’s story stands out as a cautionary tale of what happens when you pour your heart, soul, and thousands of developer hours into building the perfect product…
…Only to realise no one’s there to use it.
Oh Blimey sat down with Greg “Build-it-First-Ask-Questions-Later” Harrington, founder of FeaturePalooza, to discuss the journey of creating a product jam packed with features, you’d think it could save the planet.
And why, despite all that, not a single customer came knocking.
“I should have been building distribution at the same time as the product. But nobody told me to…(well, a few people did)”.
Oh Blimey: So Greg, let’s cut right to the chase: You built it, and… no one came. What happened?
Greg: Well, I thought, “If I build the most amazing product the world has ever seen, customers will just appear, right?” Turns out, that’s not how it works.
Oh Blimey: Ah yes, the classic mistake of being in love with your vision or bogged down with finessing, the customer validation strategy part fails to materialise. Can you tell us a bit more about how you didn’t plan your distribution or go-to-market strategy?
Greg: Absolutely. I was so focused on features, because what’s more important than making sure a product can do 10 different things no one asked for?
Distribution and go-to-market strategy just seemed like unnecessary distractions. I mean, why worry about how people will hear about your product when you can spend months perfecting the hover animations on the dashboard?
“Why worry about how people will hear about your product when you can spend months perfecting the hover animations on the dashboard? ”
Oh Blimey: Interesting. So, at what point did you realise maybe people weren’t going to find this masterpiece of yours on their own?
Greg: Oh, I don’t know… probably after the second launch where no customers signed up. We added a new feature each time to “fix” the problem. At one point, we even added a feature that lets users customise the features they don’t need. I thought that’d bring them in for sure. Turns out, people don’t use products they’ve never heard of.
Oh Blimey: Let’s talk distribution. Did you ever consider, telling people about FeaturePalooza? Or even seeing if people were currently paying to solve the problem it solves?
Greg: In hindsight, maybe we should have. But honestly, “telling people about the product” felt like something that would happen organically. Instead of setting up distribution channels, we just waited for word-of-mouth to do its thing. You know, I thought I’d go viral - like Dropbox.
Image of Greg thinking about how easy it’d be to replicate Dropbox’s viral marketing success
Oh Blimey: So, what would you say to other founders who are in the feature-building trenches right now?
Greg: Two things. First, stop adding features no one asked for. I know it’s tempting, but trust me, no one cares about the widget that spins when you hover over it.
Second, figure out how you’re going to get your product in front of actual humans. Build your distribution channels, test your go to market strategies, and don’t assume customers will stumble across your app like it’s some kind of startup treasure hunt.
Oh Blimey: Wise words. So, what’s next for you and FeaturePalooza? Are you going to pivot?
Greg: Oh, we’ve pivoted five times already, naturally. I think the next move is to build a feature that distributes itself. You know, just automate the whole marketing and go-to-market strategy through AI. It’ll be the next big thing.
Summary:
Greg’s journey is a reminder that you can build the most feature-rich product on the planet, but if you forget to plan how anyone will actually find or use it, you’re left with a beautiful, functional ghost town.
For all the founders out there: Don’t forget, “If you build it, they still might not come—unless you tell them where to go.”
Does Greg’s story resonate? Are you worried you’ve left your marketing and go to market plans a little too late? Don’t worry - get in touch and I’ll see if we can get you back on track. You may find which takes longer: building product or building marketing of interest.
