Don’t Build an App. Do This Instead.

Building an app as your first step is a trap many indie hackers fall into. Here’s the harsh truth: nobody cares about your app until they care about your brand. Over the years, I’ve built six successful SaaS businesses, and the single biggest lesson I’ve learned is this: start with the problem, not the product.

Why You Shouldn't Build an App First

Costly Mistake: Building an app without a solid user base or market validation is a gamble. Even the slickest app will flop without demand.
Delayed Feedback: By the time you get your app to market, you’ve likely wasted months (and money) building features no one asked for.
Brand First, Tech Second: A strong brand builds trust, attracts early adopters, and creates a community—an app is just a delivery mechanism for your solution.

What to Do Instead

Solve a Pain Point: Focus on understanding your target audience’s pain points. Get obsessed with their problems. Talk to them, survey them, live in their world.
Build a Brand: Start by creating value. Write blogs, create videos, host webinars, or share case studies. Showcase your insights and your solutions. Make people feel like you get them.
Create an MVP That’s Not an App: Test your solution with low-tech tools. Build an email list. Use Google Sheets, Typeform, or Zapier to cobble together a solution that validates your idea.

The Power of Building a Brand First

Let me give you an example. Before launching SaaS #5, I spent six months building a niche brand. I created a simple landing page, a series of blog posts, and a newsletter. By the time I launched the app, I had 5,000 people waiting to try it out. I didn’t have to convince them to use my app—they were already sold on the brand.

Your brand is your unfair advantage. It attracts people who align with your vision and believe in your mission. It’s easier to pivot, iterate, and refine your product when people trust the brand behind it.

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How to Start Building Your Brand

Content is King: Share your journey, struggles, and wins. Authenticity wins attention.
Build an Audience First: Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, or niche communities—wherever your audience hangs out, start showing up.
Engage and Iterate: Create feedback loops. Ask questions, run polls, and involve your audience in your decision-making process.

Final Thoughts

Don’t burn out building an app no one will use. Start small, build a community, and solve a real problem. When the need for an app becomes undeniable, you’ll have an army of loyal users eager to support it.

Start with the brand, and the app will follow. Build trust, and the users will come.