Build, Fail, Repeat
Why My Product Failed (And Why You Should Build Yours Anyway)
At the beginning of this year, I was sure I had something great in my hands. After months of ideation, user research, and hard work, I launched a product I believed would solve a real problem in the market. It had a unique USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that set it apart from the competition, and I had high hopes that it would take off.
But guess what?
It failed. I guess it’s more correct like this: IT FAILED (only 1 sub).
Let’s break down the reality: I launched my product, put in the work, and waited for the traction. But the sales? Barely trickled in. After a few months of trying different strategies, I had to face the truth: not enough people were willing to pay for it. The USP that I thought was so “unique” wasn’t solving a pain point that people cared enough about to open their wallets.
I’m sharing this story not to give you a list of “lessons learned” because honestly, when you’re at war, it’s never that simple. I’m sharing this because I believe that there’s no better way to learn Product Management than to build something yourself, even if it fails. Scratch that—especially if it fails.
Build, Fail, Repeat
Building products is tough. The path to success is almost never a straight line, and the market can be brutal. But here’s the thing: if you want to sharpen your Product Management skills or your understanding of building a SaaS business, building something of your own will teach you more than any course or certification ever will.
When you’re building, you’re not dealing with hypothetical problems or case studies—you’re facing the brutal reality of:
Trying to find the right product-market fit
Understanding your users’ real pain points (not what you think they care about)
Struggling to keep development on track
Testing pricing models that don’t land
Watching competitors move faster or differently than you expected
There’s something about the real-world stakes that makes every decision, every customer interview, every pivot much more tangible. And when things don’t go as planned, the lessons hit hard and stick.
The Real Reason My Product Failed
Let’s get back to my failed product.
I thought I had done everything right: I identified a gap in the market, built a unique value proposition, and launched. But here’s where I went wrong:
Market demand wasn’t there: I found a problem to solve, but it wasn’t a problem that enough people cared enough to pay for. Having a unique USP might sound great, but if you’re not in the right market, it doesn’t matter.
Pricing didn’t resonate: I priced the product based on competitor benchmarks and what I thought was reasonable. What I failed to do was deeply understand the perceived value from my target customers. The price didn’t reflect the urgency of the problem—or the value they placed on the solution.
The value proposition wasn’t clear enough: Even though I believed in the USP, I didn’t communicate the value in a way that truly clicked with the audience. I got too caught up in what made it unique instead of why it mattered to the customer.
The truth is, failure is part of the process. Some ideas just won’t stick. Some products won’t find their market. It’s a humbling experience, but one that teaches you to listen to the market more closely and adapt faster next time.
Why You Should Build (Even If It Fails)
If you’re a Product Manager, a new SaaS founder, or someone in the early stages of your entrepreneurial journey, I can’t emphasize this enough: you need to build something yourself.
There are a million frameworks, books, and courses that will teach you about product development, go-to-market strategies, and pricing models. They all have value. But nothing accelerates your learning like diving in and building your own product.
Here’s what you’ll learn when you build and launch (and possibly fail):
Real User Feedback: When you create something and put it out into the world, you’ll get real feedback from users—feedback that’s often brutally honest. You’ll learn how to refine your messaging, improve your onboarding, and adjust the product based on what people actually want, not what you think they want.
Decision-making under pressure: When it’s your product, the stakes are real. You’re forced to make decisions quickly—whether that’s pivoting, doubling down on a feature, or adjusting pricing. This pressure sharpens your decision-making skills in a way theory never could.
Market Dynamics: No matter how well you plan, the market can throw you curveballs. Competitors may pivot, customers may change their priorities, or new regulations may shift the landscape. These real-world challenges are far more valuable than any case study you’ll ever read.
Resilience: Building a product, failing, and getting back up again builds resilience. You’ll learn how to recover from setbacks, gather insights, and apply them to your next project. This mindset is invaluable, especially in the volatile world of tech.
The Takeaway
So, why am I sharing this?
Not because I have all the answers. Not because I’ve “figured it out.” I’m sharing this because if you’re in the early stages of building something, I want you to know you’re not alone.
If you want to be a better Product Manager or build a successful SaaS business, don’t just consume content—create something. The feedback you’ll get from the market, from users, and from your own mistakes will be the most valuable lessons you’ll ever learn.
Sure, it’s tough. And yeah, you might fail. But the insights you’ll gain are worth every setback.
So, go build. Fail fast, learn faster, and keep moving forward.
Have you built something recently? How did it go? Let’s share our stories—good, bad, and ugly—because we all have something to learn from each other.
The Product Land ⛰️
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if your pricing does not resonate with the customers, how do you go about testing it? I am assuming you don't want to set a weird precedent of reducing/changing prices per customer.