Build What the World Actually Needs

A Practical Checklist for Creating Products That Matter

I’ve been amazed by the rise of tools like v0.dev, Replit, and Lovable—platforms that let you build real products in seconds. It feels like magic. One minute you’re sketching an idea, the next you’ve deployed an app.

But… what are you actually building?

This moment reminds me of when GarageBand appeared on iPhones. Suddenly, we were all music producers. But owning the tool doesn’t make you ready for Wembley. You need the song, the rhythm, the reason people will care.

Building software is no different.

Yes, tools today let you ship in seconds. But success still starts with what you build—and why. Before kicking off your next Replit project, let’s talk about what comes before code.

Important!
This Is Not a Waterfall Checklist

Don’t treat the steps below as a rigid sequence. This isn’t a one-way street—it’s a creative loop. Follow the Build–Measure–Learn cycle, but start where it really counts: with learning.

Learn → Build → Measure → Repeat

Thanks to tools like v0.dev, Replit, and Lovable, you can move faster than ever. Use that speed to your advantage—build small, test early, and learn continuously.

Iterate fast. Fail faster. Learn always. 🚀

That’s how you build something people actually want.

1. Define the Problem & Value

Many products fail not because they were poorly built, but because they solve problems no one actually cares about. So before you build, get clear on what you’re trying to solve—and for whom.

Ask yourself:

• Who are your users?

  Go beyond vague labels like “small businesses.” Use Personas or Jobs-To-Be-Done to capture what they actually need.

• What pain are you addressing?

  Is this an ongoing struggle users complain about or a minor annoyance they’ve already adapted to?

• What makes your solution better?

  Is it faster? Cheaper? Easier? Less risky? That’s your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). It’s what gives your product a reason to exist.

Recommended reads:

• Lean Canvas — A one-page, hypothesis-driven business model tool created by Ash Maurya to help entrepreneurs quickly test and validate startup ideas.
  → Book: “Running Lean” – Ash Maurya

• Bow-Tie Model —A strategic framework that visualizes your SaaS growth engine like a bow-tie, with feedback loops that turn one-time sales into recurring revenue and customer impact.
  → Article: “The bowtie” – Winning by Design

2. Validate the Market & Demand

Don’t just assume demand—prove it. You need more than a good idea; you need signs that real people will pay (or at least switch) for your solution.

Ask yourself:

• Have you talked to real users?

  Not your friends. Not your startup buddies. Real potential users.

  Ask about their current workflows. What’s broken? What’s annoying? Don’t pitch—just listen.

• Will they act on this problem?

  Set up a fake landing page (Painted Door Test) and see if people sign up or click. If they do, it’s signal. If not, it’s feedback.

• Who else is solving this?

  Study the competition. Find their weak spots—missing integrations, bad UX, outdated pricing.

Recommended reads:

• The Mom Test — Learn how to ask questions that uncover truth, not flattery.

  → Book: “The Mom Test” – Rob Fitzpatrick

• Bullseye Customer — Focus on the smallest viable audience that really needs what you’re building.

  → Article: learnmorefaster.com

• JTBD Interviews — Uncover the real motivations behind customer behavior.
  → Podcast: The ultimate guide to JTBD

• Rocket Surgery Made Easy — A no-nonsense guide to lightweight usability testing that anyone can conduct.
  → Book: “Rocket Surgery Made Easy” – Steve Krug

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3. Define Scope & MVP

Once you know there’s a real problem and people who want it solved, it’s tempting to build everything. Don’t. Focus on the smallest, most valuable thing you can ship—the Minimum Viable Product.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the smallest version that solves the core problem?

  Can you remove 80% of features and still provide value?

• Which features truly matter at launch?

  Use MoSCoW to sort them into Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, and Won’t-have.

• What will delight early users?

  Try the Kano Model to separate expected features from wow moments.

• How much effort vs. impact?

  Use an Impact vs. Effort Matrix to prioritize what’s worth building first.

Recommended reads:

• The Lean Startup — A must-read playbook on how to test ideas, build MVPs, and reduce risk by learning fast and iterating often.
  → Book: “The Lean Startup” – Eric Ries

• The ROI Rubric — A powerful framework to evaluate whether a new feature is worth building—based on reach, frequency, and impact.
  → Article: “Fermi ROI“ – A Smart Bear

Final Checklist

Before you start your next project on Replit (or launch another playground on v0.dev), run through this list:

1. Is the problem painfully clear, and is it worth solving?

2. Do you understand who your users are and what they need?

3. Have you talked to real people, and validated demand?

4. Did you prioritize your MVP to deliver fast value, not perfection?

If the answer is yes: go build it. You’re ready to experiment, learn, and ship.

One More Thing

These tools are incredible. They let you move faster than ever. But at some point—if your product gets traction—you’ll hit limits. You’ll need a proper design system, real backend infrastructure, and a seasoned development team to scale.

But here’s the good news: by the time you hit those walls, you’ll likely have users, feedback, and revenue—and that makes solving the next level of problems so much easier.

Start small. Start smart. Build something people and the world actually need.