There’s a painful but all-too-common story floating around the startup world—and one Reddit post captured it perfectly.
“Spent $300k on a healthcare app that nobody uses.”
“Developer swears it's 'technically perfect' but I can't get a single doctor to adopt it.”
A startup founder raised a seed round, hired a boutique dev shop, and spent 18 months and $300,000 building a flawless healthcare app for doctors. It checked all the boxes: clean UI, HIPAA-compliant, EHR integration, zero bugs.
But after demoing it to over 50 practices, none of the doctors wanted it.
Why? It didn’t solve a real pain point. It didn’t fit their workflow. It had too many clicks. The feedback was consistent: “It’s nice, but we already have a system that works.”
Meanwhile, basic-looking apps with clunky UIs were gaining traction—because they solved one painful, specific problem doctors actually needed help with.
The founder reflected:
“We built the app we wanted to build, not what doctors actually needed.”
That’s the core of the issue: too many startup founders—especially technical ones—build first, then market later (if at all). But a perfect product doesn’t matter if no one wants it or knows it exists.
1. Validate Before You Build
Don’t wait until after development to get user feedback. Talk to real people before writing code.
- What problems are they actively trying to solve?
- What do they hate about current tools?
- What would make them switch?
If you aren’t solving a real, painful, top-of-mind problem, you’re already starting on the wrong foot.
Even an ugly prototype that nails one pain point can outperform a polished, feature-rich product that misses the mark.
2. Start Marketing While You Build
Marketing isn’t something you “add later.” You should be building awareness, trust, and demand while the product is still in development.
Things you can do right now:
- Start a waitlist with a landing page
- Share your journey on social platforms
- Write about the problem you're solving
- Engage with communities where your audience already hangs out
This way, when you're ready to launch, you're not launching to an empty room.
3. Solve One Specific Pain Point First
Your product doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be useful.
In the Reddit story, the founder realized that simpler tools were winning because they focused on one thing and did it well. That’s what users care about.
Instead of building the “ultimate” platform from day one, solve one meaningful problem that your target user can’t ignore. Then improve from there.
4. Support, Onboarding, and Feedback Are Part of the Product
Great support and onboarding are often more important than your next feature.
Founders tend to obsess over code quality—but users care more about whether they can get started quickly, get help when stuck, and feel like they’re heard.
Build in:
- Clear documentation and guides
- A frictionless onboarding experience
- A fast feedback loop from users to roadmap
Support isn’t a side job—it’s a growth lever.
5. Allocate Your Time Intentionally
Most founders default to spending 90% of their time on the product. But that’s not where early traction comes from.
A better breakdown:
- 30% building the product
- 40% marketing and audience building
- 30% support, feedback, and iteration
That might feel uncomfortable at first—but if your goal is to create something people actually use and pay for, this is what it takes.
Final Thoughts
Your product doesn’t need to be perfect. But it does need to be seen, understood, and wanted by the right people.
The Reddit founder’s story isn’t unique. It’s a wake-up call for anyone spending months—or years—perfecting a product in isolation.
So if you're building something now, ask yourself:
- Have I validated this with real users?
- Am I solving a clear, specific pain point?
- Am I building a relationship with my audience before launch?
- Is my time going to code… or to making the product wanted?
Because the truth is: even a half-baked product with real demand can succeed. A flawless one, hidden in the dark, never will.