Jessica Wu sold a product that didn't exist, and told the customer...
Genius Thinking@GeniusGTX
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Aug 24, 2026
~4 min read
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Jessica Wu sold a product that didn't exist, and told the customer to their face that it didn't exist.
In a new video, this Sola founder shared 12 lessons on proving people want your idea before you build it:
1) She works 7 days a week now and has never been happier
In a new video, this Sola founder shared 12 lessons on proving people want your idea before you build it:
1) She works 7 days a week now and has never been happier
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Jessica Wu was the youngest quant researcher at a big hedge fund. She worked 9 to 10 hours a day, 5 days a week.
One call on a weekend made her miserable. She says it never felt like her own thing.
Now she works 7 days and has never been happier.
One call on a weekend made her miserable. She says it never felt like her own thing.
Now she works 7 days and has never been happier.
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2) Running her company has been easier than being at MIT
Jessica says MIT sets a ceiling on how hard a problem gets. Roller coasters on the front lawn. Models being trained in a dorm basement.
2 years of building, and she's never had to think that hard again.
Jessica says MIT sets a ceiling on how hard a problem gets. Roller coasters on the front lawn. Models being trained in a dorm basement.
2 years of building, and she's never had to think that hard again.
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3) Find the root problem, not the one people describe
Jessica says a technical background gives you one thing above all. You learn to break a problem into small pieces.
Say what you're solving in simple words and it gets far easier to solve.
Jessica says a technical background gives you one thing above all. You learn to break a problem into small pieces.
Say what you're solving in simple words and it gets far easier to solve.
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4) Finance taught her to put odds on customers
An adviser told Jessica to spend time in finance, because trading teaches you to be objective and work out the odds.
Now she asks what the odds are that this customer signs by this date. Not, I like them.
An adviser told Jessica to spend time in finance, because trading teaches you to be objective and work out the odds.
Now she asks what the odds are that this customer signs by this date. Not, I like them.
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5) A computer science degree couldn't automate one browser click
At a hedge fund Jessica had to work with very old brokerage software by hand every day.
She tried the tools built for that. Even with her background, a simple browser task was still really hard.
At a hedge fund Jessica had to work with very old brokerage software by hand every day.
She tried the tools built for that. Even with her background, a simple browser task was still really hard.
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6) MIT is a bubble. Real firms run on things that don't connect.
Jessica says at MIT every tool is easy and everything plugs into everything else.
Then you look at real companies. People jump between Excel, internal portals, outside systems and files all day.
Jessica says at MIT every tool is easy and everything plugs into everything else.
Then you look at real companies. People jump between Excel, internal portals, outside systems and files all day.
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7) They turned down huge names, and the money with them
Jessica says in the early months you get pulled in every direction.
They said no to big customers they were excited about. It wasn't the direction they wanted. Saying yes meant giving up everything else.
Jessica says in the early months you get pulled in every direction.
They said no to big customers they were excited about. It wasn't the direction they wanted. Saying yes meant giving up everything else.
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8) Sell the fake version before you build the real one
Jessica says Y Combinator pushes you to sell before you have a product. Put up a fake front end and go and try.
You know people want it when they pay for it. And keep paying.
Jessica says Y Combinator pushes you to sell before you have a product. Put up a fake front end and go and try.
You know people want it when they pay for it. And keep paying.
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9) Their first customer said come back when it exists
Jessica says they were selling a product that didn't exist yet, and they told the customer that outright.
The customer said fine, come talk to us when it does.
You're taught your whole life to do the opposite.
Jessica says they were selling a product that didn't exist yet, and they told the customer that outright.
The customer said fine, come talk to us when it does.
You're taught your whole life to do the opposite.
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10) How a 2 year old startup beats a 20 year rival
Jessica says the old tools do everything and have had 20 years to build it.
So she picks customers who give good feedback, runs a weekly call with them, and ships what they ask for fast.
Jessica says the old tools do everything and have had 20 years to build it.
So she picks customers who give good feedback, runs a weekly call with them, and ships what they ask for fast.
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11) They ran a deployment on Christmas Day
Jessica says one of their biggest customers picked Christmas because it was the quietest week of their year.
The whole team came in and worked it.
She hopes she never has to ask that of them again.
Jessica says one of their biggest customers picked Christmas because it was the quietest week of their year.
The whole team came in and worked it.
She hopes she never has to ask that of them again.
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12) The lows return to normal, if 2 things are true
Jessica says a startup morning can be your best day ever, then 2 hours later the worst news you've had.
It always settles, she says, as long as you're in the right market and you have the right people.
Jessica says a startup morning can be your best day ever, then 2 hours later the worst news you've had.
It always settles, she says, as long as you're in the right market and you have the right people.
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Look at point 10 again.
Jessica beats 20 year old tools by staying close to the people who use hers.
That works when you have 10 customers. It doesn't scale to 10,000.
At some point being known has to do that work for you.
Jessica beats 20 year old tools by staying close to the people who use hers.
That works when you have 10 customers. It doesn't scale to 10,000.
At some point being known has to do that work for you.
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