Successful entrepreneurs solve their own problems:
In other words, they “scratch their own itch”.
You’ll find this advice everywhere. So much so you might have grown numb to its wisdom.
I know I did. I saw it so many times, I began to confuse familiarity with understanding. I thought it meant:
But that’s not what it means. All “scratch your itch” means is solve your own problem.
Full stop. Nothing else. Nothing about finding paying customers. Just scratch your own itch, and no more.
What?! That’s the opposite of everything I’ve read about validation!
Indeed.
You see, something important needs to happen first - a change within your own mind. Instead of focusing on making money, you need to focus on making.
I was listening to an IndieHackers podcast between Courtland Allen and Arvid Kahl and they both talked about the importance of finding a good market. In the past, they worked on unsuccessful businesses and didn’t want to repeat their mistakes. And thus, it was important for them to start a business with the wind behind their backs.
It’s essential advice. But notice a key detail - they had failed at previous endeavors (Arvid around the 45:00 mark, Courtland mentions his past stumbles on the podcast all the time). They were already makers.
Previously, I conflated coding ability with being a maker. They are not the same. Working at a startup doesn’t make you one either. In fact, you can be a maker without knowing how to code. A maker is someone who lives this entire process: ideation, building, shipping, engaging passionate fans, and incorporating feedback. It’s an identity, a habit, not a skillset. And once you do all of that, something fascinating happens:
You get "itchier".
You start seeing more solvable problems - you get more and better ideas. Which motivates you to build and ship and get more feedback. And when you do, you get itchier again. It's a virtuous cycle.
Is it the most efficient? Probably not. But you gotta start from somewhere.