Why do so many businesses fail before they begin?
When I speak to early-stage entrepreneurs or even established businesses pivoting their offering, I often hear about the build. “We’re developing a new product,” or “We’re almost done with the new site,” or “We’re working on a rebrand.”
But rarely do I hear: “We’ve tested this in the market, and there’s real demand.”
Can you build demand from scratch?
Over the years, I’ve managed SEO and digital growth for startups and ecommerce brands. I’ve built internal systems, improved acquisition funnels, and restructured content strategies for visibility.
And I’ve learned one hard truth: No matter how clean your systems or how optimized your funnels are - if there’s no demand, nothing else matters.
One client had a beautiful product, sleek branding, great story, and a solid team. But no one searched for the problem they were solving.
We had to spend months building the market’s awareness from the ground up. The effort worked, eventually — but it burned time, budget, and energy that could’ve been avoided with a simple demand check.
What’s the simplest way to check demand?
Search.
Literally. Open a tool like Ahrefs or even start with Google autocomplete.
Are people searching for this solution?
Are they asking the question you’re answering?
As an SEO project manager, I do this before any content plan, rebrand, or product launch. I use keyword intent, search volume, and competitive benchmarks to map reality, not just hope.
Why do good ideas still fail?
Because market timing and awareness beat passion.
I’ve worked with brands that spent 5-6 figures redesigning a website before they had product-market fit. The result? A beautiful graveyard.
That’s why I help founders test first. Even a few hundred visits from organic channels, some traction on a long-tail search term, or a couple of warm leads can give you enough signal to move forward — or pivot fast.
Should you build first, or validate first?
Validate. Always.
Even if you’re building something new, test adjacent search terms, sub-topics, or related problems that people are searching for.
And when you do decide to build — whether it’s a brand, a new site, or an acquisition strategy — make sure it’s designed to meet demand, not create it from scratch.
