Field of dreams

Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner), while walking through his cornfield, he hears a voice whisper, “If you build it, he will come.” He envisions a baseball diamond in his cornfield, with Shoeless Joe Jackson standing there. Believing in him, Annie (his wife), supports him as he plows under their corn crop to build the field, at risk of financial hardship.

Field of reality

Ray followed his vision, driven by love for the sport and a mysterious voice. He risked everything—his home, his livelihood. In the end, it all worked out. But that’s Hollywood. Unless you’re building something truly groundbreaking—or you're Kevin Costner in a baseball film—things rarely go that way.

In reality, he could have questioned why that voice appeared. To seek out other voices. To gather them into a focus group and check if they really want to play baseball. To go through the town asking people if they’d actually pay to watch such a baseball game.

The Battle of Self-Control

I started with market research, potential user research, and cool buzzwords like product-market fit. I knew this was the best approach, I have consulted many others before. Basic essence is to answer the question: Am I creating a product or service for which I have convincing evidence that someone will pay to use it?

But damn, this is hard. Every day I felt the urge to skip the research and start building—anything—to avoid hearing more flaws in my plan. Months in, I still clarifying what exactly to build.

Create something and talk

I felt a strong need to have something before pitching. People want to see, touch, or experience product in some way. No amount of clever sales tactics can replace that connection.

A simple proof of concept (POC) was enough to start the conversation. A Figma prototype or a basic Webflow site did the job. It wasn’t perfect, but it allowed me to present the idea more effectively and get real feedback. It was a good conversation opener.

The Wall-Climbing

A climber ascending a wall relies on both sides—left and right—working in harmony. When his right hand and foot move up, the left side follows, step by step, maintaining balance and momentum.

The same principle applies to product development and market validation. Engaging with potential users and refining the product must happen simultaneously. I can’t focus on just one side—I need both to reach the top.