Business idea · Education
Pre-sell Before Building
Pre-sell Before Building is a strategy that encourages entrepreneurs to validate their business ideas by pre-selling a product or service before it is fully developed, thus gauging market interest and securing initial customers. It was pitched on Koerner Office in the episode "How I Cloned Two Stupid Simple Apps to Make $30M⏐Ep. #256" (aired December 12, 2025).
At a glance
| Podcast | Koerner Office |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Chris Koerner |
| Episode | How I Cloned Two Stupid Simple Apps to Make $30M⏐Ep. #256 |
| Aired | December 12, 2025 |
| Category | Education |
| Real companies on the episode | The Data Supplier, BizBuySell, ListGuy.com, UpLead, Sales Genie, Squire |
The problem it solves
Many startups fail because they build products without confirming market demand. This approach minimizes risk by ensuring that there is a customer base willing to pay for the product before it is built.
How it makes money
Revenue from pre-sales of the product or service, providing initial funding for development based on confirmed interest.
Skills you need
Sales and marketing skills, ability to create compelling pitches, and proficiency in digital tools for setting up landing pages and payment processing.
The market, and why this works now
Kickstarter allows entrepreneurs to gauge market interest by pre-selling products before development. A founder could launch a campaign targeting communities on Reddit, such as r/Entrepreneur, to attract initial backers and validate their concept. However, this approach requires upfront capital for marketing and product development, posing a risk if the pre-sale does not generate enough revenue to cover these costs.
Our analysis, written after the episode. Not a quote from the show.
Real companies discussed on this episode
- The Data Supplier
A website that sells various types of lead lists for different industries.
- BizBuySell
An online marketplace for buying and selling businesses.
- ListGuy.com
A company that sells lists of various professionals across multiple industries.
- UpLead
A SaaS platform that provides lead generation tools for businesses.
- Sales Genie
A company that provides business-to-business (B2B) and consumer lead data.
- Squire
A CRM designed specifically for barbershops, offering an all-in-one tool for managing their business needs.
Where this idea came from
Podcast: Koerner Office, hosted by Chris Koerner
Episode: How I Cloned Two Stupid Simple Apps to Make $30M⏐Ep. #256
Aired:
Summarized from the episode transcript. The show does not say which speaker raised each idea, so we credit the show, not a person.