This never works: → Startup Idea → Plan → Design → Coding →...
John Rush@johnrush
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May 17, 2025
~2 min read
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This never works:
→ Startup Idea → Plan → Design → Coding → Marketing→ Audience → 😣
This works ( sometimes ):
→ Startup Idea → Plan → Design → Coding → Marketing→ Audience → 😣
This works ( sometimes ):
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I launched 20+ startups using the following playbook:
Audience → Problem → Idea → Validation → Waitlist → SEO → One Feature MVP → Iterate → Marketing → Success.
See a full breakdown of each step 🧵 :
Audience → Problem → Idea → Validation → Waitlist → SEO → One Feature MVP → Iterate → Marketing → Success.
See a full breakdown of each step 🧵 :
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1) Audience.
- X, Linkedin, Reddit, DevTo, HackerNoun,
- 3 hours daily.
- Never skip it, just like a gym.
Every idea must start with an audience (unless u r a Steve Jobs level genius).
It'll help you build smth people actually want.
- X, Linkedin, Reddit, DevTo, HackerNoun,
- 3 hours daily.
- Never skip it, just like a gym.
Every idea must start with an audience (unless u r a Steve Jobs level genius).
It'll help you build smth people actually want.
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2) Identify the Problem.
- Read social media for discussion.
- Be active in posting/replying/engaging.
- Chat with 20 people daily.
- Be part of communities, start your own.
- Work for them
All this will lead to you spotting common pains, problems & dreams of your audience.
- Read social media for discussion.
- Be active in posting/replying/engaging.
- Chat with 20 people daily.
- Be part of communities, start your own.
- Work for them
All this will lead to you spotting common pains, problems & dreams of your audience.
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3) Pitch in the Idea.
Use Google Keywords Planner, and google search autosuggest to brainstorm ideas.
Pitch ideas to your audience at least a few a week.
Discuss ideas in DMs, at least 10 times a week.
Use Google Keywords Planner, and google search autosuggest to brainstorm ideas.
Pitch ideas to your audience at least a few a week.
Discuss ideas in DMs, at least 10 times a week.
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4) Validation.
Every week, validate at least 1 idea by
- posting on social media
- replying to other posts
- DMing people
- Emailing(cold and warm)
Pitch it really short and clear. Don't fking start "I hope this email finds you"
Every week, validate at least 1 idea by
- posting on social media
- replying to other posts
- DMing people
- Emailing(cold and warm)
Pitch it really short and clear. Don't fking start "I hope this email finds you"
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5) Waitlist.
Don't waste your time here, and just use this template: saas-waitlist.unicorntemplates.com
Don't overload it with text.
The top hero section must explain it all with a title+subtitle.
The rest of the page is purely for SEO purposes. No real humans gonna scroll and read.
Don't waste your time here, and just use this template: saas-waitlist.unicorntemplates.com
Don't overload it with text.
The top hero section must explain it all with a title+subtitle.
The rest of the page is purely for SEO purposes. No real humans gonna scroll and read.
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6) SEO.
Once u see people on the waitlist, it’s a sign to bet on this project. Invest time into SEO! My SEO combo:
@listingbott for backlinks from directories
@seobotai for blog
@indexrusher indexing
@wrapifai for building mini tools
Once u see people on the waitlist, it’s a sign to bet on this project. Invest time into SEO! My SEO combo:
@listingbott for backlinks from directories
@seobotai for blog
@indexrusher indexing
@wrapifai for building mini tools
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7) One Feature MVP.
Focus on one key feature and drop the rest.
Find a boilerplate on nextjsstarter.com if you're a coder.
If not:
a) Go for NoCode or AI Code( @unicornplatform , @bubble or @softgen )
b) Hire someone on mvpwizards.com
Focus on one key feature and drop the rest.
Find a boilerplate on nextjsstarter.com if you're a coder.
If not:
a) Go for NoCode or AI Code( @unicornplatform , @bubble or @softgen )
b) Hire someone on mvpwizards.com
0:32
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8) Iterate With Users.
- Talk to every user from the waitlist every day via X or Linkedin.
- Become best friends.
- Make them feel they are your product team.
- They will love it, be more loyal, and help a lot with the roadmap.
Be open when you speak. Don't be defensive.
- Talk to every user from the waitlist every day via X or Linkedin.
- Become best friends.
- Make them feel they are your product team.
- They will love it, be more loyal, and help a lot with the roadmap.
Be open when you speak. Don't be defensive.
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9) Marketing.
- Share all you do on social media daily.
- Spend a few hours a week on SEO.
- Publish 1 blog post a week (hackernoon, IH, reddit...)
- Build a free side project for traffic to the main one.
- Browse social media for relevant posts to reply with your tool
- Share all you do on social media daily.
- Spend a few hours a week on SEO.
- Publish 1 blog post a week (hackernoon, IH, reddit...)
- Build a free side project for traffic to the main one.
- Browse social media for relevant posts to reply with your tool
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10) I practice what I preach
John Rush@johnrush
I'm working on 24 startups simultaneously
(half a million b2b users, multimillion ARR)
No VC funding, employees, calls, office, managers...
Each business is 100% async over chat:
> me: idea, design, UX & marketing.
> comaker: coding, product & support.
Why, how, what:
(half a million b2b users, multimillion ARR)
No VC funding, employees, calls, office, managers...
Each business is 100% async over chat:
> me: idea, design, UX & marketing.
> comaker: coding, product & support.
Why, how, what:
