Start with users, Not just ideas- The real first problem in every Startup

Great products aren’t built in isolation- they’re revealed through real users.

Author

Mohit Sareen
April 18, 2025

Hey y’all - Ever had a brilliant product idea you just knew would change the world? You've got sketches, a catchy name, and maybe even an app prototype ready. It feels perfect, until reality strikes. When you finally launch, no one uses it. Users aren't excited; they're confused. And you realize too late you've built a solution in search of a problem.

That's the powerful lesson hidden within a recent tweet by legendary startup mentor Paul Graham your first, and biggest-challenge isn’t perfecting your idea; it’s understanding your users.

“A startup’s initial problem is usually what the product should be and how to get the first users. It may sound like those are two problems, but they're not. Ideally, you solve them simultaneously, and the process of trying to get users shows you what the product should be.”

In other words: users don’t just validate your product, they define it.

Forget everything you've heard about building in stealth mode. It’s time to flip the script. Let's dive in and uncover why successful startups don’t just start with ideas, they start with the people who need them.

The Context

Start With Users, Not Just Ideas- The Real First Problem in Every Startup

When most founders launch a startup, they obsess over one central question:

“What should the product be?”

They sketch features. Build wireframes. Polish the UI.
They debate whether it should be AI-powered, mobile-first, or Web3-enabled.

But they often miss something far more critical, and more revealing:

“Who is this for?”

That’s the exact insight legendary startup investor Paul Graham shared in a recent tweet:

“A startup’s initial problem is usually what the product should be and how to get the first users. It may sound like those are two problems, but they're not. Ideally you solve them simultaneously, and the process of trying to get users shows you what the product should be.”

This deceptively simple idea flips conventional wisdom on its head, and has the power to shape the entire trajectory of your startup.

The Mistake Most Founders Make

In the early stages, founders fall into the “build first, launch later” trap.

They believe they need to have the perfect product before they go public.
But what they often end up with is a polished solution to a problem no one cares about.

Why?

  • Because ideas in isolation aren’t reality-tested.

  • You need feedback. You need friction. You need real people using your product in unpredictable ways.

  • That’s where your real product starts to take shape.

The Illusion of Two Separate Problems

At first glance, Paul Graham's tweet describes two separate startup challenges:

  • What should the product be?

  • How do we get our first users?

But he makes a powerful point:

These aren’t two problems. They’re one intertwined discovery loop.
Getting your first users shows you what your product should be.

It’s not just about building then distributing.
It’s about discovering the right product through distribution.

The first users aren’t just customers, they’re co-architects of your product.

Why "Perfecting the Product First" Doesn’t Work

You can spend months building something that feels elegant, only to realize:

  • No one wants it

  • It solves the wrong problem

  • The pain it solves isn’t painful enough

  • Or the right people never discover it

This happens all the time in the startup world.

Why?

  • Because early products are based on guesses.

  • Only real user behavior can expose truths.

The Better Approach: Build While Getting Users

Here’s the smarter, leaner way:

  1. Start with a pain point you believe matters.

  2. Build the simplest version of your idea that someone can use.

  3. Show it to real people.

  4. Watch how they react, struggle, request, or reject.

  5. Refine your product, not in isolation, but in collaboration with these early users.

This loop, build, test, learn, repeat- is what transforms an idea into something sticky.

Real-World Example: Airbnb

Airbnb didn’t start with an all-in-one global booking engine.

It started with the founders renting out air mattresses in their apartment to attendees of a local design conference.

They got users before they had a product.
Then built features based on what those users needed: better listings, reviews, payments, trust.

Had they waited to perfect the product before going live, Airbnb may never have existed.

Their first users literally showed them what to build.

Your First Users Aren’t Just a Milestone- They’re a Mirror

Early users serve multiple roles:

  • They validate that someone wants what you’re building

  • They expose what’s broken, unclear, or unnecessary

  • They ask for features you didn’t imagine

  • They help you see what your product truly is

And most importantly, they help you focus.

Instead of building for the whole world, you build for 5 real people.
And that tight focus is where clarity, and product-market fit, begins.

Practical Takeaways for Founders

So, how can you apply Paul Graham’s wisdom starting today?

Here’s a battle-tested framework:

1. Build with Distribution in Mind

Don’t wait to finish before you ship.
Start talking to potential users while you build.

Create interest. Spark conversations. Collect emails. Set up calls.

2. Define a Clear First Audience

Avoid building for “everyone.”
Instead, define a hyper-specific early adopter persona:

“Remote team leads struggling with a sync task visibility” is better than “managers.”

3. Launch Uncomfortably Early

Don’t wait until you’re proud. Launch when you’re a little embarrassed.

Because early feedback is more valuable than late polish.

4. Sit With Users, Not Behind Dashboards

Watch users use your product. Talk to them.

Ask:

  • “What were you expecting this to do?”

  • “What confused you?”

  • “What did you love or hate?”

Their answers will shape your roadmap more than any brainstorm ever could.

5. Treat Users Like Teammates

If someone takes a chance on your early product, make them feel heard.

Respond personally. Ship fixes fast.
Build trust, and you might just build your first 100 evangelists.

To Sum up

The startup journey doesn’t start with code.
It starts with curiosity.

Curiosity about real people.
Curiosity about what they’re trying to do.
Curiosity about what they’ll do when your product gets in their hands.

That’s the core of Paul Graham’s tweet.

You don’t figure out your product and then go find users.
You figure out your product by getting your first users.

That’s where the magic begins.

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