Justin Jackson makes the case that, while market fit is very important for anyone building a product, it’s not the only consideration. He states that one should first ensure the product fits the founder. If there is not fit there, the problem shows itself every day:
Serving an audience you don’t like is one of the worst feelings in the world. You have to show up every day and answer their emails, fix their bugs, reset their passwords. To do customer research you need hang out with them a lot. To get sales? You have to go to tradeshows, make contacts, call them on the phone.
That’s an interesting opinion, and one I’ve long subscribed to. After selling my own business, I was certain of one thing: I could only work on ideas that added something to this world (or work for companies that provided the same). I had plenty of ideas for new businesses, but not all ideas fit with my ethics or provided enough value to justify the required costs (to the environment, to people’s attention, etc).
So if one has an idea of a new venture to start, it is important to ensure you love the idea itself. You have to believe in it, so much that your conviction will get you through the moments when the feelings of excitement and passion have faded away.
