There's an old question in startup land.
Is your product a vitamin or a painkiller?
Vitamins are nice to have. They're good for you. People know they should take them. But they forget. They skip days. They don't feel the absence immediately.
Painkillers are different. When you have a headache, you need relief now. You'll pay for it. You'll seek it out. You won't forget.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Most of us are building vitamins and pretending they're painkillers.
We tell ourselves our product solves a critical problem. We convince ourselves that users need what we're making. But when we're honest — really honest — we know the pain isn't that sharp. The problem isn't that urgent.
I'm not saying vitamins can't become businesses. They can. But they're harder. You have to create habits. You have to remind people why they need you. You're fighting against indifference, not just competitors.
So take a moment. Look at your product. Ask yourself: If this disappeared tomorrow, would my users feel pain? Or would they just... move on?
The answer doesn't mean you should quit. But it should shape how you build, how you sell, and how honest you are with yourself about the road ahead.
This is Founder FM. Know what you're building.