We said “no” to a client with a big budget. I’m still thinking about it.

A few months ago, we had a potential client that seemed perfect. Good budget, clear idea, nice people. Everything looked fine.

But the more we dug, the more it felt like there was no real core. No clear first value moment. Too many directions. Too many “we’ll see” features.

We could’ve taken the project, made the money, and shipped something. But it didn’t feel right. So we said no. Suggested simplifying the idea first.

It wasn’t easy. I kept second-guessing myself for weeks. But experience tells me building something that shouldn’t be built yet usually ends badly — for both the client and us.

Has anyone else here ever stopped themselves from building something, even though they technically could?