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So I was wrong.
For a SaaS business, audience != customers.
Let me explain...
For a SaaS business, audience != customers.
Let me explain...
Sometime last year, I tweeted this 
.
I said:
Old way: build product, then find customers.
New way: Build audience, then build product. https://twitter.com/farez/status/1298281121126334465
. I said:
Old way: build product, then find customers.
New way: Build audience, then build product. https://twitter.com/farez/status/1298281121126334465
The problem with that is, I confused "audience" with "customers".
And I failed to see that the audience-first approach, while highly relevant for content creators, isn't as effective for SaaS builders. https://www.indiehackers.com/@mijustin/dont-try-to-build-an-audience-b25107efbd
And I failed to see that the audience-first approach, while highly relevant for content creators, isn't as effective for SaaS builders. https://www.indiehackers.com/@mijustin/dont-try-to-build-an-audience-b25107efbd
I was confused because I got distracted.
The maker / indie-hacker trend was on the rise, and I saw this community was getting great business results from selling to their audience. Writeups on these successes were everywhere.
The maker / indie-hacker trend was on the rise, and I saw this community was getting great business results from selling to their audience. Writeups on these successes were everywhere.
And I failed to check whether their business lessons (content) is relevant to mine (SaaS).
I was attracted to this shiny new thing called "audience building".
I was attracted to this shiny new thing called "audience building".
An audience follows you because they want to learn or be entertained.
SaaS customers buy your software because they have a problem to solve.
The two don't naturally overlap (sometimes they do, but this is not a given).
SaaS customers buy your software because they have a problem to solve.
The two don't naturally overlap (sometimes they do, but this is not a given).
The value you deliver and the channels you deliver it through are different.
Content
Value: education, thought leadership, entertainment.
Channel: video, blog, book, courses, etc.
SaaS
Value: save time, save money, increase revenue.
Channel: website, app, API.
Content
Value: education, thought leadership, entertainment.
Channel: video, blog, book, courses, etc.
SaaS
Value: save time, save money, increase revenue.
Channel: website, app, API.
I think there are many good reasons to write and build an audience.
It sharpens your thoughts, it improves your communication skill, and it connects you with people you can learn from.
My mistake is to assume that the audience I am building is also my source of customers.
It sharpens your thoughts, it improves your communication skill, and it connects you with people you can learn from.
My mistake is to assume that the audience I am building is also my source of customers.
So what's a SaaS maker to do?
Instead of focusing on building an audience, focus on learning. Pick a group of people, help them regularly, and along the way, learn about the problems they all have in common.
Then build something to solve that problem.
Instead of focusing on building an audience, focus on learning. Pick a group of people, help them regularly, and along the way, learn about the problems they all have in common.
Then build something to solve that problem.
As @arvidkahl nicely puts it, your SaaS business should be "audience-driven" - a subtle but important distinction to "audience-first". https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/status/1357662960441847812
And on a related topic of what to write, @jakobgreenfeld just wrote this highly relevant post.
Basically: Do stuff, then write about it. https://twitter.com/jakobgreenfeld/status/1366363872324542468
Basically: Do stuff, then write about it. https://twitter.com/jakobgreenfeld/status/1366363872324542468
Thoughts?
Great discussion also happening here: https://www.indiehackers.com/post/build-a-business-not-an-audience-58dd938c21
