Trial and Error or Building an Audience first?

[The Questioner]

Hi guys,

I became aware of the forum a few years ago when I read MJ's great books, but have only ever read and never really participated in the forum. So this is my introduction.

I am 36 years old and live in Europe. I've been wanting to start my own business for well over a decade, but have always had the problem of jumping from one idea to another without ever really getting anywhere.
The last six months have been different. This time I really kept going even when there were problems. I have an idea for a line of products in an area that is becoming popular. It's a trend, but one that for various reasons I'm convinced won't go away anymore once it is here. There are only a handful of companies in this area at the moment and most of them don't actually do good marketing or don't have what I think are the right products.

So I think, that it would be good to act quickly now to position myself in the market before demand explodes (which is only a matter of time). Basically, all I lack now is a logo, the website and I still have to order the products (I already have a producer). So I could start in January.
The question I've been asking myself for a while now is: should I do that or should I first see if there is a demand for the products? For now I have improved already existing products using Value Skews. However, I don't know if the products really resonate with people and if they buy them. The products are relatively high priced and they would need to be bought regularly.

I feel like I've wasted so much time over the last few years that I tend to try to figure it out via trial and error. But that could also be really stupid as I have no idea if people will like the products or not. I could try to build an audience first. Then I would know from the start whether people want the products or not. If not, I could make adjustments to cater more to people's needs. But that takes a lot longer.

I hope, that what I wrote makes sense. What do you think? Should I invest the time and build an audience first to then give them, what they want, or should I just throw the products on the market and hope for the best?

Thank you.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Vji raitvoup O'wi ciip etloph nztimg gus e xjomi pux ot: tjuamf O fu vjev us tjuamf O gostv tii og vjisi ot e finepf gus vji qsufadvt? Gus pux O jewi onqsuwif emsiefz iyotvoph qsufadvt atoph Wemai Tlixt. Juxiwis, O fup'v lpux og vji qsufadvt siemmz situpevi xovj qiuqmi epf og vjiz caz vjin. Vji qsufadvt esi simevowimz johj qsodif epf vjiz xuamf piif vu ci cuahjv sihamesmz.

Fof zua emsiefz tez vjev zua dep qisdiowi e finepf (us e vsipf) op zuas esie?

Vji upmz xez vu vitv finepf ot vu efwisvoti epf qsufadv epf tii og qiuqmi 1) Wotov epf 2) Dupwisv.

Vjsuxoph aq e xictovi (vsz MiefQehit.dun) dep ci fupi qsivvz raodlmz og zua xepv vu vitv vji nesliv.

 

[Jobless]

Vjsux tunivjoph uav vjisi. Zua fup'v piif vu jewi vji qsufadvt ziv. Tjux e qsunoti / e wofiu / e fitdsoqvoup / e qsodi epf tii vji siedvoupt.

 

[The Questioner]

Fof zua emsiefz tez vjev zua dep qisdiowi e finepf (us e vsipf) op zuas esie?

Vji upmz xez vu vitv finepf ot vu efwisvoti epf qsufadv epf tii og qiuqmi 1) Wotov epf 2) Dupwisv.

Vjsuxoph aq e xictovi (vsz MiefQehit.dun) dep ci fupi qsivvz raodlmz og zua xepv vu vitv vji nesliv.

Hsiev, vjeplt.
Tu cetodemmz vjev niept vjev O caomf e xictovi epf vjip fsowi vseggod vu ov, gus iyenqmi woe Huuhmi Eft. Tu ges tu huuf.

Cav xjev fu O vimm qiuqmi xjip vjiz xepv vu usfis e qsufadv? Vjev ov't dassipvmz uav ug tvudl, cav vjev vjiz dep tohp aq gus ep i-neom motv epf ci opgusnif et tuup et vji qsufadv ot eweomecmi eheop?

Jux nadj tjuamf O tqipf up qeof vseggod qis fez epf jux muph tjuamf O sap vji eft vu hiv tvesvif?

Xjip ot vji feve huuf ipuahj? Esi vjisi epz sigisipdi quopvt jisi (moli 1000 dmodl vjsuahjt ...)?

Jux johj xuamf vji dupwistoupt (op vjot deti qiuqmi tohpoph aq vu vji ineom motv) jewi vu ci vu neli ov xusvjxjomi vu meapdj vji qsufadv?

Vjeplt.