What to Do Before You Build: A 1-Page Go-To-Market Plan for Creators

You don’t need a better product—you need a better plan.

Most creator-led products fail—not because they’re bad, but because they never had a shot.

No clarity. No signal. No built-in path to traction.

This 1-page Go-To-Market plan helps you fix that—before you waste 40 hours building something nobody asked for.

It’s designed for solo creators, operators, and indie builders.

Use it to think clearly, test fast, and launch with confidence.

TL;DR – 7 Filters Before You Build Anything

Here’s what you’ll answer in this post:

1. Is your audience clear enough to reach directly?
2. Are you solving a real problem, not a surface one?
3. Can you describe their pain better than they can?
4. Does your product play a clear role in their story?
5. Can you test signal before you build anything?
6. Do you know where and how they’ll discover it?
7. What happens after they use it?

Let’s dive in.

Filter 1: Can you describe your audience without guessing?

Don’t build for “people interested in productivity.”

Build for:

“Freelancers who are juggling 3+ clients and feel stuck in reactive work every day.”

If you can’t describe your customer’s current day in detail, you’re not ready to build for them yet.

Example:
Instead of: “People starting side projects”

Use: “New designers freelancing at night who feel unsure about how to price their services.”

Filter 2: Are you solving a real problem, not just a nice-to-have?

People pay to solve problems they feel. Not inconveniences. Not curiosities. Real friction.

Ask:

• What’s keeping them stuck?
• What are they already trying to fix it?
• What’s not working?

Example:
You’re thinking of building a writing prompt generator. But users don’t want “prompts”—they want to stop staring at a blank page.

That’s the real problem: creative paralysis, not content ideas.

Filter 3: Can you describe their struggle better than they can?

This is the marketing gold mine.

If you can say what they’re thinking better than they can, they’ll assume you have the answer.

Try this:
Write down 3 phrases they might say in a message or comment:

“I’m spending hours writing proposals, and none of them are landing.”
“I don’t even know if people would pay for this skill.”
“Every time I post, it feels like I’m shouting into a void.”

Real words = real resonance.

Filter 4: Does your product play a clear role in their transformation?

Your product isn’t the hero. The customer is.

Your product is a shortcut, a tool, a trusted guide—not the destination.

Ask:

• What’s the job this product helps them do?
• What’s the simple promise?
• What would they use it instead of?

Example:
A creator builds a pricing calculator for freelancers. It doesn’t just “save time”—it gives users the confidence to charge more and explain their value clearly.

Filter 5: Can you test the idea before you build it?

You don’t need a product to validate a product.

You need a way to test for signal.

Try this:

• Post about the problem
• Reach out directly to people experiencing it
• Offer a waitlist or early access
• Run a mini version live (e.g. session, call, or small workshop)

Example:
You want to build a planning system. Before designing anything, you post:

“I’m thinking about building a lightweight weekly workflow for solo creatives who feel overwhelmed—would that be helpful?”

People replying? That’s a signal.

Filter 6: Do you know where and how they’ll discover it?

No product sells itself. You need distribution before launch day.

Start simple:

• Where do they already hang out?
• What questions are they asking?
• Who already has their attention?

Example:
If your audience spends time in niche communities or forums, show up and share what you’re building as you go—before it’s finished.

Filter 7: What happens after they use it?

A good product solves a problem.

A great product opens a new door.

Ask:

• What could this lead to?
• What would they naturally want next?
• Could this product create referrals, follow-ups, or repeat usage?

Example:
You build a mini-guide on how to land your first client. A natural follow-up?

A deeper training on scaling to $5K/month or keeping clients long-term.

Don’t just deliver value.

Create momentum.

Use This Before You Build Anything

Here’s the 1-page checklist recap:

1. Audience clarity: Can you describe and reach them directly?
2. Problem depth: Is this real pain—not surface friction?
3. Language lock-in: Can you describe their pain better than they can?
4. Role in story: Is your product a tool for progress?
5. Signal test: Have you validated the idea before building?
6. Discovery channel: Do you know where they’ll find it?
7. Post-use payoff: What happens after they use it?

Final Thought: Slow Down to Speed Up

Before you write, design, or ship—run your next idea through this plan.

If you answer “yes” to every filter? Build it.

If you’re fuzzy on more than 2? Talk to people. Test first.

You don’t need a massive audience. You just need to solve a problem people already feel—in a way they can’t ignore.