Does building in public sell outside the creators circle?
For a long time people argued that the only ones making money online were the ones teaching how to make money online.
I see many examples of "building in public" which bring sales from Indie hackers or creators, more generally.
I am curious whether building in public can help selling also to totally different audiences.
Do you know any relationship examples?
Early access video games are a great example. Buyers are in the target market. Devs build the games in public. Buyers play as they are being built.
If the community is very driven/motivated - think football clubs, gamers, poker players etc. - they would want to see something getting built in public. They want to feel like they are a part of the decision making process. I guess that is how they build tribes!
Thank you. I agree in theory. But I'd like to see some examples.
I would look at lemlist, texau and several other tech companies that have built massive communities that eventually support and grow their business. That's a real moat. Competitors can't "steal" those customers.
In developing countries, there are several teachers and educators who build and maintain massive social learning groups. They ask what topics students would like to see etc. Similarly, there are Whatsapp groups of local chefs who announce what they are cooking the next day and the week after, so people can plan for it. All this helps in maintaining high customer engagement.
The creator community is pretty early to build in public. Eventually, many industries will want to do this.
This is a list of great examples @edbuilder!! You totally nailed it.
Thanks!
Thought-provoking question. What kind of audiences do you have in mind?
(I don’t have an answer, but I’m curious and I would like this post to get some comments.)
The closest example I have is once posting a couple of #buildingInPublic type of posts on LinkedIn and immediately getting some interest from a New Business Development Director at a telecom-related company.
Thanks for the answer.
I have in mind any audience other than the creator/Indie hacker audience.
For example, is there a psychologist building his practice in public and selling services or products to improve yourself (not products on how to build a psych practice)?
Or a cook? A musician? A soccer coach?