Where to start when building a killer product

Most early adopters of apps, online services and gadgets find themselves on Product Hunt to hear about new releases.

Getting featured on the discovery platform can start companies on the road to success – but it’s worth remembering that Product Hunt is a success story in its own right, having served as the launchpad for about 25,000 companies over the past four years and being acquired by AngelList last December after just three short years in existence.

It’s therefore no surprise that founder Ryan Hoover has numerous insights into how to build a great product. On stage with me at TNW Conference in Amsterdam, Hoover talked about the importance of first building credibility and growing an audience in your domain before busying yourself trying to craft a perfect product.

Not only does this help you set up a community around your offering when you launch, but it also helps you entice potential employees and partners to join you on your journey. So whether you need feedback and input on how to improve your product or are looking for a co-founder, having a clearly defined brand and an audience that wants what you’re selling can certainly get the ball rolling in the direction you want to go.

Hoover talked about his own journey before he built the Product Hunt platform you’re now familiar with – starting with writing more than 150 blog posts that were published across numerous outlets (ours included) and building a subscriber base of over 1,000 for his email newsletter, Startup Nation.

The legwork, he says, proved invaluable in drumming up interest for the first version of Product Hunt, and those initial visitors helped shape the platform with crucial feedback.

So if you’ve got a great idea for a hot new app or gadget kicking around, consider Hoover’s advice about immersing yourself in the community, building credibility and garnering a following before getting down to crafting your game-changing product.

Oh hey, you can watch our fireside chat in its entirety too: