“Build It, and They Will Come” — A Myth that Quietly Paralyzes Creators

Most creators don’t fail because they lack talent. They stall because they believe a myth that feels productive, even though it isn’t.

HERE ARE THREE REASONS THE “BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME” IDEA DOES REAL DAMAGE.

IT PROMISES RESULTS WITHOUT CORRESPONDING EFFORT. The myth suggests that creation alone is enough. Write the book. Launch the product. Publish the course. Then wait.

That belief removes the need for outreach, testing, and adjustment—the very activities that turn work into results. When outcomes don’t appear automatically, creators don’t correct course…they freeze.

IT ELIMINATES THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN BUSINESS: CONVERSATION. Nothing meaningful happens without two-way dialogue.

“Build it, and they will come” replaces conversations with hope. Instead of talking to real people, creators retreat into polishing, tweaking, and refining in isolation. Feedback, signals, and momentum all disappear.

IT’S LAZIER IN A SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE WAY. This is the uncomfortable one.

The myth lets creators feel industrious without being exposed. Building in private feels safer than asking questions, making offers, or hearing “no.” But success isn’t awarded for effort alone. It’s earned through interaction, responsiveness, and showing up before you feel ready.

Tiny Tribes🪶 exists because small, intentional work done in public, in conversation, with real people beats silent perfection every time.

If you’re building something right now, ask yourself:

👉🏼 WHAT CONVERSATION AM I AVOIDING BY “GETTING READY?"

That answer usually points to the next useful move.

In my opinion, the next move is to ACT.

AT A MINIMUM, TAKE OUT YOUR PHONE AND DO THE FOLLOWING TODAY:

Shoot a 30-second video (in selfie-mode) with your basic elevator pitch (use Claude or ChatGPT to help you craft one for your niche)
Post them to a YouTube channel via YouTube Shorts
Post them as Instagram Reels
Make sure your newsletter / Substack/YT channel, etc., is linked in your bio.

HERE'S MY ELEVATOR PITCH THAT CHATGPT HELPED ME CREATE:

“I work with writers who already publish but aren’t making much money yet. Instead of pushing audience growth, I help them use one short book as the anchor for a companion course, a coaching offer, & a DFY service that can support four-figure months.”

Tiny steps lead to bigger ones.

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