I think this is such a great exercise.

You know what often happens when I do free feedback on business ideas and ask founders to describe what they do in two sentences?

"Well, it's complicated."

And I always say the same thing:

• If you can't describe your business in a simple one-liner, you don't really have a business.

Most people get a little cranky when I say that.

A one-liner is simply the answer to the question: "What do you do?"

It's a single statement that helps people quickly understand why they need your product or service.

Start with the problem, then position your product or service as the solution.

So, let's do this!!!

Drop your one-liner below. Even a caveman should understand it.

Speak soon,
Jan

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I feel like there are 4 types of leads in an online business, and I'd love to hear your point of view.

Leads

• Someone subscribes to your newsletter (you only get their email address).
• Someone signs up for a free service, and you get information such as their name, company name, website, and email address.
• Someone creates an account in your system but doesn't use any paid services. However, they have a profile, so you have more ways to reach out to them.
• Someone creates an account and pays for your service, either through a monthly subscription or a one-time payment.

I believe these are the main types of leads we can get when starting an online business.

Are all of them valuable, or is someone only a lead if they pay?

And what would you do if you got 100 of them?

Here's what I would do:

For newsletter subscribers, I would send a short email sequence. Maybe four emails that provide value, with the last one including an offer.

For people using my free service, I would ask whether the service helped them and if they would be willing to leave a review or testimonial.

For users who create an account, I would send a detailed welcome email. I might even include a short video explaining who I am, what I'm building, and how I can help them.

For paying customers, I would send a welcome email and then give them some time to use the service. After about seven days, I would follow up by email or phone to see if they're happy and whether I can help them get more value from the product.

I believe each type of lead requires a different approach.

I'm always looking to learn something new, so feel free to share your thoughts, experience, or advice.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

First of all, I’m happy that people are building projects, websites, and apps. Great job, folks!

Because I do free feedback on projects at any stage, I’ve started noticing something that I’d like to talk about.

Why do all app websites look like the app?

The app has amazing features and looks professional, but is that what really gets the customer's attention? I don't think so.

I think what really gets a customer's attention is:

• A great story
• Easy-to-understand feature descriptions
• Reviews and testimonials
• Great blog posts
• Pain points: "I really need this because I’m struggling with this problem."

We should ask:

• Is my website part of the product, or is it a marketing tool?
• Does my website really have to be black and dark green just because my app uses those colors?

Let me tell you something. I tried an experiment.

One week, I wrote 10 posts as marketing.

Another week, I spent my time adding new features to my service.

What do you think brought me more sales? 

Marketing:) 

That’s why so many people say:

"I spent 6 months building my product. Why doesn't anybody want to buy it?"

Because nobody knows about your app. And when they finally visit your website, there’s no story, no easy explanation, no reviews, no blog posts, and no clear pain points. It's just an app website that looks exactly like the app.

Am I crazy for saying you should spend 70% of your time building your brand and 30% building your product?

PS: A product without marketing is just an expensive hobby.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

I keep seeing this question on Reddit: "What business should I start?"

THE BUSINESS YOU’RE ABLE TO MARKET.

Let me explain...

When I started my first business, I made a bunch of mistakes.

I didn’t validate my business idea with potential customers. I didn’t do market research. I spent so much time building my website, etc.

But those mistakes have relatively simple solutions.

The question: How will I market my business?

It’s the hardest one:( Why.

Because it’s everything.

If you’re able to market your business, if you’re able to bring people to your website, you’re a winner!

After that, if nobody buys your product, your product isn’t good enough. But if you know how to market it, you can improve it or change it until people want it.

THE BUSINESS YOU’RE ABLE TO MARKET.

Remember that.

The business you’re able to write about, talk about, learn about, and create content about. That’s the kind of business you can start without a lot of resources.

So, before you start a business:

• Test your idea with potential customers.
• Do market research.
• Build a simple landing page.

BUT...

FIRST, THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WILL MARKET YOUR BUSINESS!

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

First of all, I’m happy that people are building projects, websites, and apps. Great job, folks!

Because I do free feedback on projects at any stage, I’ve started noticing something that I’d like to talk about.

Why do all app websites look like the app?

The app has amazing features and looks professional, but is that what really gets the customer's attention? I don't think so.

I think what really gets a customer's attention is:

• A great story
• Easy-to-understand feature descriptions
• Reviews and testimonials
• Great blog posts
• Pain points: "I really need this because I’m struggling with this problem."

We should ask:

• Is my website part of the product, or is it a marketing tool?
• Does my website really have to be black and dark green just because my app uses those colors?

Let me tell you something. I tried an experiment.

One week, I wrote 10 posts as marketing.

Another week, I spent my time adding new features to my service.

What do you think brought me more sales? 

Marketing:) 

That’s why so many people say:

"I spent 6 months building my product. Why doesn't anybody want to buy it?"

Because nobody knows about your app. And when they finally visit your website, there’s no story, no easy explanation, no reviews, no blog posts, and no clear pain points. It's just an app website that looks exactly like the app.

Am I crazy for saying you should spend 70% of your time building your brand and 30% building your product?

PS: A product without marketing is just an expensive hobby.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

First of all, I’m happy that people are building projects, websites, and apps. Great job, folks!

Because I do free feedback on projects at any stage, I’ve started noticing something that I’d like to talk about.

Why do all app websites look like the app?

The app has amazing features and looks professional, but is that what really gets the customer's attention? I don't think so.

I think what really gets a customer's attention is:

• A great story
• Easy-to-understand feature descriptions
• Reviews and testimonials
• Great blog posts
• Pain points: "I really need this because I’m struggling with this problem."

We should ask:

• Is my website part of the product, or is it a marketing tool?
• Does my website really have to be black and dark green just because my app uses those colors?

Let me tell you something. I tried an experiment.

One week, I wrote 10 posts as marketing.

Another week, I spent my time adding new features to my service.

What do you think brought me more sales? 

Marketing:) 

That’s why so many people say:

"I spent 6 months building my product. Why doesn't anybody want to buy it?"

Because nobody knows about your app. And when they finally visit your website, there’s no story, no easy explanation, no reviews, no blog posts, and no clear pain points. It's just an app website that looks exactly like the app.

Am I crazy for saying you should spend 70% of your time building your brand and 30% building your product?

PS: A product without marketing is just an expensive hobby.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

First of all, I’m happy that people are building projects, websites, and apps. Great job, folks!

Because I do free feedback on projects at any stage, I’ve started noticing something that I’d like to talk about.

Why do all app websites look like the app?

The app has amazing features and looks professional, but is that what really gets the customer's attention? I don't think so.

I think what really gets a customer's attention is:

• A great story
• Easy-to-understand feature descriptions
• Reviews and testimonials
• Great blog posts
• Pain points: "I really need this because I’m struggling with this problem."

We should ask:

• Is my website part of the product, or is it a marketing tool?
• Does my website really have to be black and dark green just because my app uses those colors?

Let me tell you something. I tried an experiment.

One week, I wrote 10 posts as marketing.

Another week, I spent my time adding new features to my service.

What do you think brought me more sales? 

Marketing:) 

That’s why so many people say:

"I spent 6 months building my product. Why doesn't anybody want to buy it?"

Because nobody knows about your app. And when they finally visit your website, there’s no story, no easy explanation, no reviews, no blog posts, and no clear pain points. It's just an app website that looks exactly like the app.

Am I crazy for saying you should spend 70% of your time building your brand and 30% building your product?

PS: A product without marketing is just an expensive hobby.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

First of all, I’m happy that people are building projects, websites, and apps. Great job, folks!

Because I do free feedback on projects at any stage, I’ve started noticing something that I’d like to talk about.

Why do all app websites look like the app?

The app has amazing features and looks professional, but is that what really gets the customer's attention? I don't think so.

I think what really gets a customer's attention is:

• A great story
• Easy-to-understand feature descriptions
• Reviews and testimonials
• Great blog posts
• Pain points: "I really need this because I’m struggling with this problem."

We should ask:

• Is my website part of the product, or is it a marketing tool?
• Does my website really have to be black and dark green just because my app uses those colors?

Let me tell you something. I tried an experiment.

One week, I wrote 10 posts as marketing.

Another week, I spent my time adding new features to my service.

What do you think brought me more sales? 

Marketing:) 

That’s why so many people say:

"I spent 6 months building my product. Why doesn't anybody want to buy it?"

Because nobody knows about your app. And when they finally visit your website, there’s no story, no easy explanation, no reviews, no blog posts, and no clear pain points. It's just an app website that looks exactly like the app.

Am I crazy for saying you should spend 70% of your time building your brand and 30% building your product?

PS: A product without marketing is just an expensive hobby.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

First of all, I’m happy that people are building projects, websites, and apps. Great job, folks!

Because I do free feedback on projects at any stage, I’ve started noticing something that I’d like to talk about.

Why do all app websites look like the app?

The app has amazing features and looks professional, but is that what really gets the customer's attention? I don't think so.

I think what really gets a customer's attention is:

• A great story
• Easy-to-understand feature descriptions
• Reviews and testimonials
• Great blog posts
• Pain points: "I really need this because I’m struggling with this problem."

We should ask:

• Is my website part of the product, or is it a marketing tool?
• Does my website really have to be black and dark green just because my app uses those colors?

Let me tell you something. I tried an experiment.

One week, I wrote 10 posts as marketing.

Another week, I spent my time adding new features to my service.

What do you think brought me more sales? 

Marketing:) 

That’s why so many people say:

"I spent 6 months building my product. Why doesn't anybody want to buy it?"

Because nobody knows about your app. And when they finally visit your website, there’s no story, no easy explanation, no reviews, no blog posts, and no clear pain points. It's just an app website that looks exactly like the app.

Am I crazy for saying you should spend 70% of your time building your brand and 30% building your product?

PS: A product without marketing is just an expensive hobby.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

I feel like the internet gives everybody a chance to write about things they may not fully understand.

Don’t get me wrong, I do the same (everybody does).

There is so much content and information about how business works, how to start a business, and how to do almost anything. But you never really know if it’s coming from a real entrepreneur or from someone who just asked AI to generate a text full of keywords.

That’s one of the main reasons why I try to get most of my information from books. If someone took the time to write a book about business, there’s a good chance they really understand the topic.

Today, I decided to share 5 books that helped me on my journey.

1. Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

I feel like this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to start a business. Mr. Gerber brilliantly explains the difference between a technician, a manager, and an entrepreneur. It helped me understand how a business actually works and why systems and rules are so important.

2. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

The best marketing book I’ve ever read. It perfectly explains how people react to text with a story versus text without one. It shows how important it is to be able to describe your business in just two sentences. There’s also lots of valuable information about email marketing, websites, and how to communicate with customers.

3. The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco

The author doesn’t care about excuses. He’s amazingly straightforward, and I love that. This book just makes you want to keep going in business. Plus, there’s so much valuable information about business, marketing, and finance. What a book!

4. Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan

Noah feels like a cool friend in this book. He shares his own stories and experiences, which add a lot of value. The book is full of practical advice for early entrepreneurs about ideas, validation, testing, and getting started as quickly as possible with little budget.  This fits perfectly with the world we live in today!

5. The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick

This book focuses especially on testing and validating business ideas. It’s not always an easy read, but it’s very helpful. It shows you what questions to ask for validation, what feedback is actually positive or negative, and how to avoid common mistakes. This is the kind of book you can keep in your library and always come back to when you need it.

Do you have another book recommendation? Let's share!

Maybe it’s just me, but I still prefer reading a book over watching a tutorial on YouTube or Instagram. I find books incredibly valuable, and I believe writing is still one of the best ways to share knowledge.

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I keep seeing this question on Reddit: "What business should I start?"

Start the business you enjoy marketing.

Let me explain...

When I started my first business, I made a bunch of mistakes.

I didn’t validate my business idea with potential customers. I didn’t do market research. I spent so much time building my website, etc.

But those mistakes have relatively simple solutions.

The harder question is: How will I market my business? 

It's the hardest one. Why? 

Because it's 80% of your business.

If you’re able to market your business and show people your product, that's a huge advantage.

Start the business you enjoy marketing.

Remember that.

Choose a business you’re able to write about, talk about, learn about, and create content about.

That’s the kind of business you can start without a lot of resources.

Yes, you still have to test your idea with potential customers, do market research, and build a simple landing page.

BUT...

First, ask yourself:

Do I enjoy marketing this business?

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I keep seeing this question on Reddit: "What business should I start?"

Start the business you enjoy marketing.

Let me explain...

When I started my first business, I made a bunch of mistakes.

I didn’t validate my business idea with potential customers. I didn’t do market research. I spent so much time building my website, etc.

But those mistakes have relatively simple solutions.

The harder question is: How will I market my business? 

It's the hardest one. Why? 

Because it's 80% of your business.

If you’re able to market your business and show people your product, that's a huge advantage.

Start the business you enjoy marketing.

Remember that.

Choose a business you’re able to write about, talk about, learn about, and create content about.

That’s the kind of business you can start without a lot of resources.

Yes, you still have to test your idea with potential customers, do market research, and build a simple landing page.

BUT...

First, ask yourself:

Do I enjoy marketing this business?

Speak soon,

Jan

To be honest, I used to skip market research on purpose because I was afraid I'd find something similar.

And I didn't want to give up on my business idea.

Do you know that feeling?

The truth is, there's always something similar out there.

But building a business without market research is like driving a car without a steering wheel.

So, why do I do market research before building a business?

• Learn from what others are already doing.
• Understand what makes my idea different.
• Identify what I can actually do better.
• Discover what's missing in the market.

Step 1: Research Competitors

I find 5-7 competitors and create an Excel spreadsheet with all the valuable information:

• How they position themselves
• Am I solving the same problem?
• Is it the same target audience?
• How do they make money?
• Pricing
• What they do well (must-haves)
• What they're missing (gaps)
• Opportunities for me

It might look time-consuming, but it's extremely valuable because I use this information again and again.

Step 2: Find the Opportunities

I focus on the last point, "Opportunities for Me," and choose the 3 most common opportunities.

That's my main focus. That's the core of my business idea.

Step 3: Become a Customer

I pick the 2 competitors that are most similar to my business idea and look at them from the perspective of a regular customer.

• Test the product
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Read the reviews
• Visit their social media pages

This helps me understand how they market their business and how they work with customers.

Value Check

Based on this information, I'm ready to evaluate the value my idea brings to customers.

A business exists to create value for customers.

The more value you create, the more people are willing to pay.

No value = no business.

To understand the value, I ask a few key questions:

• What value does this idea create?
• What problem does it solve?
• How does it make money?

Based on this information, I'm ready to translate these insights into a message that customers can understand in 5 seconds.

So, market research helps you:

• Understand if there's an opportunity in the market.
• Check if your idea brings value to customers.
• Start preparing your marketing before you build.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey,
I’d like to share something.

I always had a problem with building things before testing them with customers. I was missing patience and immediately jumped into creating a website, coding an application, preparing a marketing campaign, etc.

One time, I spent a full year building a business and got 0 leads. I lost $400, but the most important thing was the time. I almost quit everything.

After I read a couple of books like The Mom Test, Million Dollar Weekend, and The Lean Startup, I decided to focus only on testing before building anything and tried different ways to test business ideas with customers.

I just want to share the easiest method that worked really well for me.

Maybe it can also help somebody test an idea quickly, with no money and just 2 days off.

I WROTE THE IDEA DOWN ON PAPER:
• What is the business idea?
• What makes it unique?
• What problem does it solve?
• How will it make money?

I DEFINED MY TARGET AUDIENCE (THE MOST IMPORTANT PART)
• What goals do they have?
• What do they care about?
• What do they struggle with?

In this case, I tested on LinkedIn, so I described what my ideal customer looks like on LinkedIn, such as location, job title, work experience, etc.

Then I prepared a list of 50 contacts like this.

I WROTE A SHORT MESSAGE WITH ADDITIONAL VALUE.

The purpose wasn't to sell anything, just to get people to fill out a short form.

I PREPARED A GOOGLE FORM WITH 5 QUESTIONS:
• Are they really my target audience?
• Do they actually struggle with the problem I’m trying to solve?
• How are they solving it now?
• Would they use my product?
• Would they pay for it?

And I asked if they would be interested in early access and, if YES, to leave their EMAIL.

I SENT 50 MESSAGES AND GOT 6 EMAIL LEADS, which is 6 more than I got after spending 1 year building a website.

Hey guys,

I’d like to share something.

I keep seeing this question on Reddit: "What business should I start?"

THE BUSINESS YOU’RE ABLE TO MARKET.

Let me explain...

When I started my first business, I made a bunch of mistakes.

I didn’t validate my business idea with potential customers. I didn’t do market research. I spent so much time building my website, etc.

But those mistakes have relatively simple solutions.

The question: How will I market my business?

It’s the hardest one:( Why.

Because it’s everything.

If you’re able to market your business, if you’re able to bring people to your website, you’re a winner!

After that, if nobody buys your product, your product isn’t good enough. But if you know how to market it, you can improve it or change it until people want it.

THE BUSINESS YOU’RE ABLE TO MARKET.

Remember that.

The business you’re able to write about, talk about, learn about, and create content about. That’s the kind of business you can start without a lot of resources.

So, before you start a business:

• Test your idea with potential customers.
• Do market research.
• Build a simple landing page.

BUT...

FIRST, THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WILL MARKET YOUR BUSINESS!

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I feel like Reddit is the best platform for entrepreneurs. (I'm so grateful for this platform!)

It's been almost 4 years since I started my first business.

My first 3 mistakes:

• I didn't test what people were struggling with.
• I spent 6 months building a product without checking the market or my competitors.
• I created an amazing website that only made sense to me. You probably had to spend 6 hours on the website just to understand what it was about. 😄

Those mistakes have relatively simple solutions.

But what's the mistake I never paid attention to before I started a business?

HOW WILL I MARKET MY BUSINESS!

This is the hardest part because there isn't an easy solution.

Why?

Because it's everything.

If you're able to bring people to your website, you're okay!

If somebody asked me, "What business should I start in my situation?"

I always answer the same: THE BUSINESS YOU'RE ABLE TO MARKET.

The business you're able to write about, talk about, read about, and create content about. That's the kind of business you can start without a lot of resources.

So, if you want to start a business:

• Test your idea with potential customers.
• Do market research.
• Don't build a big website. Build a simple landing page instead.

BUT...

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WILL MARKET YOUR BUSINESS!

Do you agree with me? 🤔

This is one of the main reasons I started doing free feedback on business ideas at any stage. My feedback also focuses on how the business is marketed to customers and whether the marketing message is clear.

www.thinkbeforeubuild.com

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I feel like Reddit is the best platform for entrepreneurs. (I'm so grateful for this platform!)

It's been almost 4 years since I started my first business.

My first 3 mistakes:

• I didn't test what people were struggling with.
• I spent 6 months building a product without checking the market or my competitors.
• I created an amazing website that only made sense to me. You probably had to spend 6 hours on the website just to understand what it was about. 😄

Those mistakes have relatively simple solutions.

But what's the mistake I never paid attention to before I started a business?

HOW WILL I MARKET MY BUSINESS!

This is the hardest part because there isn't an easy solution.

Why?

Because it's everything.

If you're able to bring people to your website, you're okay!

If somebody asked me, "What business should I start in my situation?"

I always answer the same: THE BUSINESS YOU'RE ABLE TO MARKET.

The business you're able to write about, talk about, read about, and create content about. That's the kind of business you can start without a lot of resources.

So, if you want to start a business:

• Test your idea with potential customers.
• Do market research.
• Don't build a big website. Build a simple landing page instead.

BUT...

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WILL MARKET YOUR BUSINESS!

Do you agree with me? 🤔

This is one of the main reasons I started doing free feedback on business ideas at any stage. My feedback also focuses on how the business is marketed to customers and whether the marketing message is clear.

www.thinkbeforeubuild.com

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I feel like there are 4 types of leads in an online business, and I'd love to hear your point of view.

Leads

• Someone subscribes to your newsletter (you only get their email address).
• Someone signs up for a free service, and you get information such as their name, company name, website, and email address.
• Someone creates an account in your system but doesn't use any paid services. However, they have a profile, so you have more ways to reach out to them.
• Someone creates an account and pays for your service, either through a monthly subscription or a one-time payment.

I believe these are the main types of leads we can get when starting an online business.

Are all of them valuable, or is someone only a lead if they pay?

And what would you do if you got 100 of them?

Here's what I would do:

For newsletter subscribers, I would send a short email sequence. Maybe four emails that provide value, with the last one including an offer.

For people using my free service, I would ask whether the service helped them and if they would be willing to leave a review or testimonial.

For users who create an account, I would send a detailed welcome email. I might even include a short video explaining who I am, what I'm building, and how I can help them.

For paying customers, I would send a welcome email and then give them some time to use the service. After about seven days, I would follow up by email or phone to see if they're happy and whether I can help them get more value from the product.

I believe each type of lead requires a different approach.

I'm always looking to learn something new, so feel free to share your thoughts, experience, or advice.

Speak soon,

Jan

Hey guys,

I'd like to share something.

I feel like there are 4 types of leads in an online business, and I'd love to hear your point of view.

Leads

• Someone subscribes to your newsletter (you only get their email address).
• Someone signs up for a free service, and you get information such as their name, company name, website, and email address.
• Someone creates an account in your system but doesn't use any paid services. However, they have a profile, so you have more ways to reach out to them.
• Someone creates an account and pays for your service, either through a monthly subscription or a one-time payment.

I believe these are the main types of leads we can get when starting an online business.

Are all of them valuable, or is someone only a lead if they pay?

And what would you do if you got 100 of them?

Here's what I would do:

For newsletter subscribers, I would send a short email sequence. Maybe four emails that provide value, with the last one including an offer.

For people using my free service, I would ask whether the service helped them and if they would be willing to leave a review or testimonial.

For users who create an account, I would send a detailed welcome email. I might even include a short video explaining who I am, what I'm building, and how I can help them.

For paying customers, I would send a welcome email and then give them some time to use the service. After about seven days, I would follow up by email or phone to see if they're happy and whether I can help them get more value from the product.

I believe each type of lead requires a different approach.

I'm always looking to learn something new, so feel free to share your thoughts, experience, or advice.

Speak soon,

Jan