The #1 Mistake Creators Make When Deciding What to Build
Here's a super common scenario we encounter: A creator who's built a successful channel or following decides they want to launch a product. They've put in the work, grown an audience, and now they're ready to monetize beyond sponsorships. Yay! Let’s get it.
And then they make the classic mistake ☠️
They default to teaching people how to be a creator.
It makes sense on the surface. You've mastered the art of high-retention YouTube videos, attention-grabbing TikTok hooks, or beautiful Instagram aesthetics.
You've learned how to write scripts, edit video, design thumbnails, and grow an audience.
You've got genuine expertise to share!
The problem? For 99% of creators, the audience you've built is not the customer for that product.
And to sell something, you need customers, not followers.
Your Audience ≠ Your Customers
That’s a “not equal” sign, in case you missed it 👆️
Think of your audience and your potential customers as two circles in a Venn diagram.
Your audience is everybody who follows you for your content.
Your potential customers are people who would pay for what you might sell.
A theoretical example:
You're a finance creator. Your audience comes to you for financial insights, investment strategies, and money-saving tips. They love it! You’re so good, and you’re growing. Nice.
What do they not want? They don't come to you to learn how to craft the perfect thumbnail or write viral hooks – even if you're really good at those things. So a product that addresses those areas is going to flop with your audience.
When these circles barely overlap:
- Your conversion rate (audience → customer) will be abysmal
- You'll frustrate the majority of your audience with irrelevant offers (and probably get a ton of blowback in your comments and DMs, especially if you’re a YouTuber because YT audiences are savage)
- You'll waste months of work building something very few of the people you have access to actually want
So, maybe, instead of doing that…Build products where these circles have maximum overlap.
Finding That Sweet, Sweet Overlap
So how do you identify what that overlap might be? Here are some approaches that we take with the creators we work with:
1. Solve problems your audience actually has
If you're a finance creator, your audience likely has problems related to budgeting, investing, or financial planning. Consider products like:
- Templates for budgeting or investment tracking
- A course on a specific investment strategy you've mastered
- A community where people can discuss investment opportunities
- An app that supports them in actually tracking and sticking to a budget
2. Extend the value you already provide
If your audience already values your perspective on a topic, go deeper in that same direction:
- More detailed breakdowns
- Personalized feedback
- Access to your process
- Community with like-minded people
3. Listen to what they're already asking for
The best product ideas often come directly from your audience:
- What questions do they repeatedly ask in comments?
- What do they DM you about most frequently?
- What struggles do they share with you?
4. Test before you build
Before investing tons of time and money into building a product, validate it first:
- Survey your audience about potential product ideas
- Pre-sell the concept to gauge interest if feasible
- Start with an MVP (minimum viable product) version
The Bottom Line
So if you’re finding yourself asking, "What should I build?", I’d suggest reframing that to, "What would my existing audience actually pay for?"
The more your product directly connects to why people followed you in the first place and the value your content is already providing, the more likely they are to become customers.
And the more customers you convert from your existing audience, the more efficient your entire business becomes. That is the built-in advantage to a creator-led business, and if you’re not leveraging it, you’re missing this point.
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