Uber took 14 years to become profitable.

You have 3-6 months to make it or break it.

Here is where 72% of innovation fails:

The product is loved by users and delivers value just fine.

Now, it’s your job to capture some of that value…

… and create a sustainable business model.

I coach most teams to test their 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐲 as soon as possible.

It’s a hidden component of 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭-𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭 that most companies overlook.

Sure, users can say that they love your product,

but will they pay for it?

The last I checked, “product love” alone does not keep the lights on.

Even worse, you risk developing features for users who will NEVER pay for it, leading your product in the wrong direction—and ultimately sinking it.

In most cases, willingness to pay can be tested before product launch (pre-sale, co-creation with the client, marketing tests, surveys, etc.).

Let’s discuss some examples: when testing willingness to pay isn’t feasible pre-launch. Products that require network effects come to my mind first.

What else?

♻️ Restack this post to help more companies remember: optimizing for profit is normal—especially when bootstrapping. ✌