Developers often assume marketing is simple because they lack expertise, a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. They should view marketing skill progression as being as complex and time-consuming as their own journey from junior to senior developer.
Founders who succeed by randomly trying ideas rather than using a systematic process don't learn repeatable skills. This lucky break can be detrimental, as it validates a flawed strategy and prevents the founder from learning the principles needed for consistent, future success.
Much online startup advice comes from founders with a single lucky success or a large pre-existing audience, making their advice often not repeatable. Seek guidance from those who have demonstrated success multiple times, proving their methods are based on skill and strategy, not just luck or circumstance.
The "stair-step method" mitigates the dual complexity of building and marketing a SaaS from scratch. By first launching a simpler add-on within a marketplace like Shopify or Heroku, founders can leverage a built-in marketing channel, allowing them to master the technical and product challenges of SaaS.
While no single path guarantees startup success, the phrase "there's no one right answer" is dangerous. It implies all approaches are equally valid, leading founders to choose easy methods over proven, difficult ones. In reality, only a handful of paths are viable, while the vast majority ensure failure.
Unlike info products, you can't just "sprinkle marketing" on a SaaS product post-build. SaaS requires solving a real pain point to prevent churn. Great marketing for a product nobody wants simply accelerates its demise by exposing its lack of product-market fit more quickly.