By Naveen Sivakumaran — Jul 14, 2024

Build it. But they won't come.

"Try it, Aditi, just one little bite"

I was trying to tempt my 2-year-old to try ice cream for the first time.

She sticks out her tongue. Little by little until the tip touches the ice cream. A lick. And another.

Bigger licks. A few nibbles.

"Mine!", she commands making a grab for the cup.

Nila and I, had a cup of ice cream each. Aditi wasn't interested.

Despite it being something she hadn't come across before.

Until I asked if she wanted to try it.

Even then, she refused at first.

But there was curiosity.

What happened here?

New product. Never seen before. Something she's sure to enjoy.

Didn't move her interest meter one bit... Until, I asked her to try it.

What does this have to do with your product?

"Build it and they will come".

I've heard Senior Executives say Kevin Costner's famous lines from his 1989 movie, Fields of Dreams, with an air of confidence.

This thought stems from the belief their product is somehow unique.

The first. Or the only. Or both.

Being too close to our product, we underestimate everyone .

We think our widget is the iPhone of our industry.

It will do what Netflix did for on-demand entertainment.

Or what Google did for search.

I'm not going to dispute your confidence in your product.

What I will dispute is your misplaced confidence.

Your flawed thinking that the customers will beat a path to your door just because your product exists.

You must put the word out.

Tell them how your product can improve their lives .

You must tempt them to try it.

A strong marketing strategy. Creative advertising. Effective copywriting. Content marketing. And many more are needed to:

So, no. Build it, but they won't come.