Stage 5 / Sell

Your first 10 customers.

Selling is not something you do after you build. It is how you find out if you built the right thing.

“Achieve results, but never revel. Achieve results, but never boast. Achieve results, because this is Nature's Way.” The Way of Code, 30 — Rick Rubin, after Lao Tzu
The Sprint Loop

Selling is a loop you run repeatedly, getting faster each time. Each cycle is a Sprint. Some products close in Sprint 1. Others take five sprints and a pivot. The point is velocity — fail fast, learn fast, adjust fast.

01
Target
Pick 10 specific people. Not a segment. Ten humans with names.
02
Reach
Send the message. Short, specific, clear ask.
03
Learn
Track replies, objections, conversions. Find the pattern.
04
Adjust
Change one thing. Not three. One variable at a time.
Sprint tracker

After three sprints, you will know more about your market than most founders learn in three months.

Sprint Reached Replied Bought Top objection Adjustment
Outreach template

Short, specific, and includes a clear ask. Customize the bracketed sections.

Subject: Quick question about [their specific problem] Hey [Name], I noticed you [specific thing about them that shows you did research]. I built a tool that [one sentence: what it does]. It takes [time saved] and costs [price]. Would you be open to a 5-minute walkthrough this week? [Your name]
When to pivot

Zero conversions after three sprints is not failure. It is signal. You have three options:

Pivot the product
The problem is real but your solution is wrong. Rethink what 10x better looks like.
Pivot the audience
Your lawyer tool might actually be perfect for paralegals. Your SaaS for agencies might be a tool for freelancers.
Pivot the price
Try free with a paid upgrade. Try charging 3x more. The answer is rarely in the middle.

Killing a product that is not working is an entrepreneurial skill, not a failure. The builders who succeed are the ones who run the loop fastest.

Selling Voice Lab

Sharpen your selling voice. Paste any copy, get two variants, pick the one you'd send. After five picks, your selling voice crystallizes.