Business Cards and Start Up

Henry Ford said there is no market for a new product.  I say it in other words, without a customer you have no product.  

But but but “I have this cool thing from overseas...”  “I have the great idea...”

Without customers, you have nothing.  You create customers as you create the product or service.  You keep testing each iteration with potential customers. The relative distances between your idea and first sample is about 100 miles.  That distance is filled with research.   The distance between first sample and start up (orders) is about 50 feet.  Eeryone wants to cut out those 100 miles.  It cannot be done.  To skip that is just to waste your suppliers and your customers time with product not ready.

You need no business card, nor licenses, or office or anything else to develop an idea.  Nor to do the 100 miles of research.  Nor to get a first sample.  Nor to travel the 50 feet to start-up.  Not even to import and ship to customers.  No, you need that stuff when people are paying you for your product.  Until then, you have nothing.  Nothing to put on a business card, nothing to license.  Focus only on what matters.

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