Business plans are the tool existing companies use for execution. They are the wrong tool to search for a business model.
Steve BlankRead
Build and they will come’ is not a strategy, it’s a prayer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Simply creating something isn't enough; you need to actively engage people to attract them.
The quote emphasizes that while having a great product or idea is important, it alone does not guarantee attention or success. Without a strategic approach to reaching and appealing to an audience, merely building something can be futile, suggesting that hope alone is not a viable business strategy.
Themes
StrategySuccessBuildingEntrepreneurshipEngagement
In practice
Example use cases
A start-up founder might use this quote to inspire their team during a strategy meeting.
More from Steve Blank
All quotes →Unless you have tested the assumptions in your business model first, outside the building, your business plan is just creative writing.
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People talk about getting lucky breaks in their careers. I’m living proof that the “lucky breaks” theory is simply wrong. You get to make your own luck... The world is run by those who show up…not those who wait to be asked.
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You need to ask yourself, ‘Where do you want to work: startups, mid-size or large companies?’ If you find yourself debating the ‘startup versus large company’ choice you’ve already chosen the big company. Entrepreneurship isn’t a career choice it’s a passion and obsession.
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We now know that something between 85 and 90 percent of most software product features are unwanted and unneeded by customers. That is an enourmous ammount of waste of time and money that ends up on the floor.
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Greatest risk is not development of new product, but development of customers and markets
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