Demand-Driven Development: Build Less, Sell More

The Hard Truth About Building Products Nobody Wants

In 2019, Josh Pigford shut down Baremetrics after realizing they'd spent years building features their customers rarely used. "We built what we thought people wanted," he wrote, "instead of what they were actually willing to pay for."

This story illustrates a critical lesson: building without validated demand is like shooting arrows in the dark. The solution? Understanding what customers will actually buy before writing a single line of code.

What is Demand-Driven Development?

Demand-driven development starts with sales, not code. You identify what customers want to buy, then build exactly that - nothing more. This approach has helped companies like Buffer, which started as a two-page website describing their product before building anything.

The Process: Validate First, Build Later

1. Find Pain Points: Talk to potential customers about their current problems. Don't pitch solutions yet.

2. Validate Willingness to Pay: Create a basic landing page describing your solution. If people sign up and are willing to prepay, you've found real demand.

3. Start Manual: Deliver your solution manually at first. This lets you understand exactly what customers need before building automated systems.

4. Build Incrementally: Only automate what customers consistently use and value.

Real Success Story: Zapier's Manual Start

Wade Foster and Bryan Helmig started Zapier by manually building integrations for customers. They didn't build their automated platform until they had paying customers and understood exactly what they needed. This manual-first approach helped them avoid building unnecessary features.

Key Principles

1. Sales Come First: If you can't sell it, don't build it.

2. Manual is Good: Start by doing things manually to understand what really matters.

3. Build Only What Sells: Focus on the 20% of features that deliver 80% of the value.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

- Building in isolation without customer contact

- Adding features without validating demand

- Trying to automate too early

- Ignoring customer feedback about what they'll actually pay for

Getting Started

1. Identify your target market

2. Talk to potential customers

3. Create a simple landing page

4. Try to presell before building

5. Start with manual processes

Extra Tip: The "Painted Door" Test

Before building features, create buttons or links for them on your interface. Track which ones people click. This gives you data about what users want before investing in development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Won't my competitors beat me to market if I take too long validating?
A: Building the wrong thing fast is worse than building the right thing slowly. Focus on validated customer needs rather than racing to launch.

Q: How do I know if I've found real demand?
A: People should be willing to pay before you build. If you can't presell, you haven't found real demand.

Q: What if customers don't know what they want?
A: Focus on their problems and pain points, not their proposed solutions. Listen for patterns in what they struggle with.

Q: How much validation is enough?
A: When you can consistently get customers to prepay for your solution, you've found enough validation to start building.

Q: What if I'm not good at sales?
A: Start by having conversations about problems, not pitching solutions. This feels more natural and builds better understanding.

Recommended Next Steps

1. Create a simple landing page describing your solution

2. Find 10 potential customers to interview

3. Document their pain points and willingness to pay

4. Start with manual processes to validate your solution

5. Build only what customers consistently use and value

Common Myths About Demand-Driven Development

Myth 1: "If you build it, they will come"
Reality: Building without validated demand is the fastest way to waste resources.

Myth 2: "More features = better product"
Reality: Fewer, well-validated features often create more value than many unused ones.

Myth 3: "Manual processes are bad"
Reality: Manual processes help you understand exactly what to build.