⭐️ Today’s Highlights:

⭐️ Today’s Highlights:

• 📣 Why “build it and they will come” is the most dangerous startup myth

• 🧭 The difference between product-led vs. distribution-led growth (and which to start with)

• 📬 Four founder-led distribution tactics you can use before you launch

• 🚀 Real examples of how indie founders used cold DMs, partnerships, and ads to go from 0 → traction

🚫 The “Build It and They Will Come” Lie

You can spend 6 months perfecting your product.
But if you have no one waiting to buy it…
You just built in a vacuum.

This isn’t a product problem.
It’s a distribution problem.

🧭 Product-Led vs. Distribution-Led

🔥 The dream: Be both.
But if you had to choose at the beginning?

Start with distribution.
You can always improve the product. You can’t un-launch to no one.

Founder-Led Distribution Playbook w/ Examples 

Start Building an Audience, Yesterday

You don’t need to be an influencer.
But you do need to be findable.

Start sharing what you’re building, learning, or solving.

✅ Post 3x a week on LinkedIn or Threads
✅ Talk about the problem, not just your product
✅ Use your content to attract the right people

Example:
Dan Rowden built and sold multiple SaaS tools by sharing every step of his progress publicly on Twitter.

Cold Outreach Still Works — If You’re Human

DMs > ads when you’re starting from scratch.

✅ Find 50 people with the problem you’re solving
✅ Reach out with context and value
✅ Don’t pitch — start a convo

Example:
Ryan Doyle used personalized Loom videos to land his first 100 customers at Arrows.

📩 Tool to try: Loom + Apollo.io for leads.

Borrow Distribution via Partnerships

No audience? No problem.
Find people who already have one.

✅ Offer to guest post, collab, bundle, or sponsor
✅ Trade value (not just “can you share my link?”)
✅ Tap into communities that align with your niche

Example:
SavvyCal partnered with newsletter creators and B2B tools to grow faster than Calendly clones.

💡 Try: Guesting on podcasts like Indie Hackers or offering bonus templates to Notion creators.

Validate With Paid Ads (Cheaply)

Most people spend money after they build.
The smarter move: test before it’s done.

✅ Set up a pre-launch waitlist or pricing page
✅ Run $50–$100 in Google/Meta traffic
✅ See which message pulls

Example:
Chris Lu launched Copy.ai with a waitlist page and FB ads. Collected thousands of emails before launch.

🚀 Use: Carrd + Tally + basic Google Ads

Final Thought:

Product is the engine.
Distribution is the fuel.

You can build the best rocket in the world —
but if it sits on the launchpad with no fire underneath…
it’s not going anywhere.

Start selling before you finish building.
Talk before you launch.
Make noise before you’re “ready.”

Because when distribution > product, you win.
When you have both? You scale.

👉 Want the Full Distribution Toolkit?

The Business in a Box course includes launch calendars, distribution roadmaps, influencer outreach templates, and pre-launch testing tools that you can copy and paste into your process today. Get The Business In a Box Course For $1!

Let’s make your product known.
— Patrick

Patty’s Picks

These are a few of my favorite finds this week. Real tools and resources I actually use — no sponsorships, no fluff. Just stuff that helps you grow faster and get seen. Enjoy.

📕 Article: My $10M Journey — and the Power of Audience-Led Growth
In this breakdown, Justin Welsh shares how building an audience-first business helped him scale to $10M solo. It's a must-read if you're serious about distribution, not just product.
→ Read it here

🛠 Tool: Carrd – The Easiest Landing Page Builder on the Internet
If you're testing product ideas or offers, Carrd is a no-brainer. One-page sites that take under an hour to build and are perfect for early traffic tests, pre-sales, and MVP validation.

📘 Free Resource: My Launch Messaging Swipe File
A free Notion doc of 25+ proven hooks, headlines, and CTA structures you can plug into your landing pages, ads, cold emails, and LinkedIn posts.
→ Grab it here

🛠 Tool: SparkLoop – Grow with Other People’s Newsletters
If you’re launching with a waitlist or pre-sale offer, SparkLoop helps you get featured in other creators' newsletters. Massive distribution without needing your own massive list.

👋 Got an idea you’re building and want a PMF gut check?

I’ll give you my honest take — no fluff, no pitch.

Let’s make sure you’re building the right thing, for the right market, in the right way.

– Patrick

Want more from me?

💼 Build your business in less than 30 days. A step by step guide to launching fast and set a foundation that is ready to scale with FREE access to over 25 templates, and 100 tools I use everyday! 👉Enroll today

🫵 Done For You Menu: You’ve got enough to handle. Let me tackle the tough stuff for YOU. Conversion-focused website builds, Streamlined automation setups, or raising capital. I got your back. 👉Order Here