Stop Building Features.
It’s Killing Your Startup.

I know exactly what you're doing right now.

→ You're tweaking the UI
→ You're adding 'Dark Mode' or
→ You're refactoring the backend

You feel productive. But you are hiding.

You are building features to avoid the terrifying feeling that nobody might want your product.

Today, we stop hiding.

I’ll show you why new features are killing your startup and give you a 3-step framework to build a startup that actually lasts - including the method I use to get customers to pay for features before I even build them.

Let's get to work.

The problem starts with a list. And we all have it.

The "Idea Backlog."

→ Dark mode
→ UI tweaks
→ New languages

You build feature after feature. But you always think:
"If I just add one more feature... then customers will come."  

I was guilty of this myself.
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In my first startup, we were obsessed with building the perfect product.
We coded non-stop. And we added every feature you could imagine.

And then we launched.

Guess what happened?
Nobody cared.

We got 0 customers. We built a "Zombie Product."
It looked great on the outside. But no one used it.
So, it was dead.

But why did we make this mistake?

Because we didn't know what our customers really wanted. We were just guessing. Most founders do this. They waste months building things nobody uses. That’s frustrating.

I mean look at your backlog.
Do you have 50 items?

If you don't know which one makes money, you are in this exact trap.

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Before I show you the framework to fix that, I have something for you that will help you build a successful startup.

A simple worksheet that shows you exactly what you should focus on in your startup to get results. And what to ignore. It’s my 6-Step Startup Plan.

It will save you months of your time. Download it.

Now, let's fix your roadmap.

Before we get to the framework, we need to change how you think about your product.

Most founders think: "The features are my product."

❌ But that’s wrong.
✅ Your product is simply the solution to a problem.

Think about it like this:
If you can't solve the big problem, adding more features won’t help.

A "shiny" product that doesn’t solve the problem of your users is worthless. On the other hand, if you only have one feature but it solves your customers’ problem, people will pay for it.

That’s the important mindset shift.
You need to think like a problem solver.

So here is the framework I use to stop feature creep.
I call it The "Stop" Protocol.

Here is how it works. You have 3 rules:

Rule number 1:
You look at your backlog. Be ruthless. If a feature hasn't been requested by 3 paying customers, you delete it. Or at least, move it to a "Someday" folder.

It distracts you from the one big problem your customers actually want to solve.

Rule number 2:
This rule changed everything for me: Don't write a line of code until you've sold the feature. If a customer asks for a new big feature, don't just say "Okay – I’m gonna build it."

Ask them: "If I build this, will you pay for a year upfront?"
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❌ If they say "No"... then they don't really need it.
✅ If they say "Yes"... you have validation.

And if you want to be even more aggressive, use the deposit method.
When they say "Yes, I'd pay for that", don't just take their word for it.

People don’t want to hurt your feelings.
So, they lie. But wallets tell the truth.

So, say this to them: "The feature will cost €50 a month. But if you put down a €50 deposit today... I will lock you in for half-price. For life."

If they hesitate you know they don't actually need it.
But if they pull out their credit card, you build that feature immediately.

Rule number 3:
Before you build a feature and automate it, do the work manually first. Coding is slow and expensive. So, before you build the full feature, do the work yourself.

→ Send the result manually.
→ See whether people actually value the outcome.

If they love it, then you write the code to automate it.
If they don’t care, you’ve just saved yourself 5 months of development.

Here is an example:
Let's say you run a project management tool and you want to build an "AI Productivity Coach" feature that analyzes user data and suggests how they can work faster.

❌ The usual founder / developer way would be:
You spend 3 months building a machine learning model. You build a complex dashboard to display the insights. And you burn $20k in developer time.

✅ The better way is:
You put a simple button in your app that says "Get My Productivity Audit for €49." When a user clicks it and pays, you get an email. You - the founder - open their account data manually, you look at their tasks and you write 3 specific tips in a nice PDF. And you email it to them.

And if 50 people buy that audit then you build the feature and automate it. If nobody clicks the button, you just saved yourself 3 months of building a feature nobody wanted.

This is one of the biggest startup killers: Building feature after feature without knowing what your customers actually need.

You tell yourself: "Just one more feature and it'll be ready."
Don't fall for that. Stop hiding behind your product and go out and talk to your customers.

But hey, if you’re serious about building a successful startup, check out my Startup Success Bundle.

It gives you a clear, proven roadmap (already used by 50+ founders) so you always know what to work on next – instead of feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
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