Sell Before You Build: How Smart Founders Launch With Zero Product

Most founders wait until the product is done before going to market.

Big mistake.

The best GTM operators do the opposite: they sell before they build. Not because they’re con artists, but because they understand that GTM isn’t a launch event — it’s a learning engine.

In this edition, we’re going deep on how to create a pre-product GTM motion that gets you real traction before a single line of code is written.

🛠️ The Problem: Building in a Vacuum

Here’s the trap most technical founders fall into:

1. Have a good idea.

2. Build quietly for 6 months.

3. Launch with a bang.

4. Crickets.

5. Pivot. Repeat.

Meanwhile, the smartest operators are doing this:

1. Write a one-pager.

2. Book 20 calls.

3. Close a few early commitments.

4. Build what was validated.

5. Ship fast. Iterate faster.

This isn't theory — this is how companies like Superhuman, Loom, and Linear started. It’s GTM-first thinking.

🧭 The 5-Part Pre-Product GTM Playbook

If you’ve got an idea, a problem you want to solve, or a niche you know intimately — here’s how to build GTM momentum before you ship:

1. 🎯 Define a Sharp ICP

Your GTM motion is only as strong as your focus.

Don't say: “We're targeting SMBs who use Notion.”
Do say: “We’re building for 3-10 person B2B SaaS teams who manage onboarding via Notion and Stripe and are hiring CS reps.”

Be obsessively specific about:

• Industry

• Company size

• Tech stack

• Trigger events (e.g. just raised, just hired RevOps lead)

Why it works: Specificity builds credibility. It also tells prospects: this was built for me.

2. 🧾 Write the Problem Email

No pitch. Just a message that shares the problem you’re working on — and asks for input.

Example:

Why it works: It’s not a sales pitch. It’s a founder reaching out for signal. This builds trust and gets real conversations going.

3. 📞 Run 15–20 Problem Interviews

Every early GTM motion should include live calls with ICPs. Not surveys. Not DMs. Actual 1:1 calls.

On the call:

• Ask open-ended questions (e.g. “Walk me through your onboarding process…”)

• Dig into pain points, workarounds, tools they’ve tried

• Ask what would magically solve the problem

And yes — if they get excited, it’s okay to pitch the vision at the end.

4. 💵 Sell a Pre-Product Beta

Once you’ve validated the problem — go ahead and sell the solution. Even if it’s vaporware.

Be transparent. Say:

You’d be shocked how many B2B buyers will pay or commit if the problem is urgent enough.

5. ✍️ Document the Journey in Public

If you’re a founder or solo operator, sharing the GTM journey builds momentum.

Post on LinkedIn or Twitter:

• What you’re building

• What you’re hearing

• Who you’re looking to talk to

• Lessons from early conversations

People will self-select into your orbit. And others will refer leads.

💡 Real-World Example: The V1 That Sold

A founder I worked with in fintech had no product — just a Google Doc with mockups. He used this framework to:

• Book 18 calls

• Get 4 pilot commitments

• Close a $12K pre-seed deal with a bank-backed accelerator

Before a single engineer touched the codebase.

📌 Your Drill for the Week:

If you're building something — draft your “Problem Email” and send it to 5 ICPs.

If you're already live — ask: Could we have sold this earlier?

Because GTM isn’t a launch date.
It’s a muscle.

And the best operators start flexing early.