If You Build It They Will Come...Or Not

As I was mowing the lawn this morning I had a thought about the nature of tech startups. This may seem like an odd thing for a landscaper to be thinking about much less write about, but I do enjoy keeping up on the tech industry news and finding parallels between my industry and the technology industry. So in the middle of creating some perfect mow lines in my backyard I had this thought. If you build it, they may or may not come, regardless of whether or not you have a plan to monetize whatever it is you are creating. This sounds quite simple but, I think it is the key to success.

Intent is a major driving force in the creation of anything. If someone sets out to build the sleekest sports car in the world, they are more likely to be successful than if they set out to build a sleek sports car that they can make lots of money selling. The difference is when the intention is diverted towards making money, the creativity suffers. When that happens, the end result is usually mediocre. 

Conversely when someone sets out to create something great with the intent that what they are creating will be reward enough, the result is usually successful. When that happens, it's easy to monetize something that everyone wants to have, or in the case of Facebook, use.

Now for the parallel. In my profession, I design beautiful outdoor spaces for clients. My intention is always to create the most functional and aesthetically pleasing space I can, with the needs of the client in mind. My intention is never to create a space that I can "sell" to the client, but to create something that I think is architecturally beautiful. From there monetizing the design is easy. Not only can the client see themselves using the space, but they can also feel the passion I have for the design when I present it to them. In essence the design sells itself. 

I have always said that I am a horrible salesperson, but an outstanding designer. I have never taken a sales course and have no use for sales techniques. To me the product or service should sell it self, but in addition to that, I have to be sold on the concept first. If I have little passion for the space that I have created or little faith in our ability to deliver, the client will pick up on that instantly and the project will never happen. However, even when I feel I have created the most wonderful space and delivered exactly what the client needs, they may still reject it and that's ok. Just because we build it, doesn't mean they'll come, but chances are if you focus on creating something great, more people will come than if you just create something to sell.