Demo-Sell-Build in the AI era:
The sequence is more important now, not less.
AI makes it faster to build. That means it's faster to build the wrong thing.
1. Demo the outcome (in a Loom, a mockup, a conversation)
2. Sell it (get a commitment before you code)
3. Build it (now you're building what someone will pay for)
AI acceleration is only valuable if you're going in the right direction.
The biggest lie in startup culture: "Get to product-market fit and everything gets easier."
PMF doesn't solve your problems. It amplifies them.
Broken unit economics? Worse at scale. Wrong customer segment? Louder at scale. Leaky retention? Catastrophic at scale.
Fix the model first. Then grow.
10 years ago, starting a company from scratch required $500K, a team of 5, and 18 months before first revenue.
Today: domain expertise + AI tools + a Lean Canvas + 10 customer conversations.
One founder with real knowledge is worth more than a funded team with none.
You can never be truly afraid in a place of abundance. Fear only exists where scarcity does — that’s why taking risks feels terrifying when you’re broke, and exciting when you’re safe.
The Money First → The Existential Problems Next
- Living in a 3rd world country(Zambia), I trust this is the path that will allow me to move to the location where zero to one moves are made(Silicon valley)....