119. Pre-Sell Before You Build: Avoid Costly Startup Mistakes — with David Hirschfeld
Pre-Sell Before You Build: Avoid Costly Startup Mistakes — with David Hirschfeld Most startups fail because they build something no one wants. In this episode of Feel the Boot, I talk with David Hirschfeld, founder of Tekyz and creator of the Launch First method, about how to flip the script and pre-sell your product before you build it. We explore how high-fidelity mockups, early customer conversations, and focused problem validation can help founders avoid wasting time, money, and effort on products that miss the mark. If you’re an early-stage founder, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you test, sell, and refine your idea before writing a single line of code. What you’ll learn: ✅ Why most startup products fail ✅ How to pre-sell using mockups ✅ When to raise capital—and when NOT to ✅ The difference between building what you want vs. solving real problems ✅ Why narrowing your focus is critical in the early stages Thinking about raising capital? Take my free 5-question quiz to see if you’re fundable: https://ftb.bz/fundable Connect with David Hirschfeld: Website: https://tekyz.com/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/tekyzinc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmhirschfeld Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tekyzinc Want more from this episode? Read the full blog: https://ftb.bz/119B ️ Watch the video: https://ftb.bz/119V Related video: Watch my episode on pre-pivoting your startup: [Insert link here] Chapters 00:00 Intro — Most founders build too soon 02:09 Why solving the right problem matters 06:37 The Launch First method explained 10:27 High-fidelity mockups that look real 15:17 Validating with real customer conversations 18:07 Pre-selling before you write code 21:42 Founder mindset mistakes to avoid 27:12 Why you shouldn’t raise capital too early 31:07 Real-world examples from David’s work 34:57 Final advice for early-stage founders Like this episode? Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more practical startup advice! #startups #founderadvice #productvalidation #entrepreneurship #FeelTheBoot #presell #startupfunding #startupmistakes