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Comment by nprateem | Hacker News Reader

Well done for persevering, but it sounds like you missed the obvious. If you want to start a business, study business (and marketing).

Since you spent time marketing there are 2 conclusions: nobody cared, or you didn't manage to find people who would have. Learning marketing should have taught you both those things.

The classic marketing line is: find a gap in the market or an undeserved niche, understand their needs better than the competition so you can solve their needs better. Then tell them and they should be delighted, becoming your customer. Then work hard to maintain their custom.

Coders think they just need to spaff out products, but you need to build something people actually want if you want to start a business.

It's not too late. Seriously, take some marketing courses at a university.

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Prioritizing and learning about marketing is important.

But I think it is a leap to go from there to taking formal business courses.

Many MBAs (I suspect most) will tell you that what they learned there doesn't remotely make up for the cost in time or money of attending. (Most of those pleased with their experience will focus on the networking and career opportunities that opened up to them).

In my experience, most business knowledge is acquired much faster by combining actual practice with learning and a good feedback loop (and in many cases, practice and a feedback loop alone outperform formal education).

I believe that this is especially true of many aspects of marketing. You learn things when you are ready to learn them. Important marketing lessons that are found in textbooks will go in one ear and out the other without experience that allows you to recognize their importance.

I suppose this is why the case method remains popular in many business schools, although I have no confident opinion about its effectiveness.

Bottom line: Its is important to prioritize marketing. But taking courses on it has far lower returns that teaching yourself: so low that I do not recommend it at all.

Some authors claim many markets are winner takes all, where the dominant firm takes 75% or more of the profits, with the rest split between one or two followers.

So if you want to learn how to start one of those I think strategy is critical, not trying to retrofit one onto an existing product.

It's like any architecture. Better to do the thinking before the building.

But yes, it's far easier to learn anything when you're applying it too. Sure you could learn by trial and error but why not take advantage of the collective learning of an industry?

What are some good courses/books for understanding marketing and business?

Especially interested in anything that focuses on tech or SaaS specifically.

"Marketing for Entrepreneurs: Concepts and Applications for New Ventures" by Crane is outstanding.

Alternatively find a university doing remote courses and pick modules you'll benefit from.

Marketing is a vital skill for entrepreneurship. An MBA is the polar opposite, it would mostly just be a waste of time.

By all means improve your marketing and sales skills, it will only help. Half the battle is building something people want, the other half is communicating it to them in a way that they understand why they want it quickly and concisely.

I agree, I focused too much on technology side and completely sidelined marketing and sales. It took some time but I have learnt my lesson now. I spend a week marketing/sales and a week on building features. I wish I could have known this much before.

Honestly friend?? You know now and you’ve already shared the benefit of your hard experiences. Writing this openly is a wicked gift and I bet this thread had already helped a bunch of entrepreneurs learn.

It sucks for you that it took you so long to learn, but it gives your words a real authority. I’d wish you luck but it sounds like you’ve already got this.

Good run rates. :)

I don't mean spending time on marketing as in advertising, I mean market research, segmentation, positioning... The things you should do before you write any production code if possible.

I hear Blue Ocean Strategy is a good book to help find a vacant position.

Interesting, I will check that out. Thanks a tonne.

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