Is building a good AI product enough to sell it?
No. Abdul Osama (عبدول أسامة) says AI, or artificial intelligence, has made it easier to turn ideas and practical expertise into products. But easier execution does not remove the work involved in making sales: understanding customers, setting a price, presenting the product and following up.
“Execution used to be the obstacle; now execution has become easy.” — Abdul Osama
Decide what the product is for
Abdul distinguishes between two goals:
| Product goal | What matters | |---|---| | Use it in your own work | It helps you do your work and improves your productivity. | | Sell it to others | You need to work on marketing and sales, not just building. |
If you enjoy building, be careful not to let endless product improvements replace finding out whether people will buy. His point is directed at builders whose intended outcome is sales.
What needs attention before and after the build?
Abdul urges builders to work through questions that can feel uncomfortable but matter when selling:
- Who is the customer, and what do they need?
- What might they pay, and how will you price the product?
- How will you present the product to them?
- How will you follow up with individual customers and gather feedback after building and marketing it?
“There’s no getting around any of this.” — Abdul Osama
In numbers
- 2009: Abdul says he has worked in sales since then, including cold-calling prospective customers.
- November 6: The date he gives for a free workshop.
- An hour and a half: The workshop length he mentions.
What to do next
Abdul announced a free crash-course workshop to share lessons from mistakes made over his years of work. He asked interested viewers to leave a comment to receive the registration link, then answer the registration questions honestly. He said places are limited.
