I read MAKE book by @levelsio last year and it changed the way I approach building products and helped me understand different important steps while building something.
In this blog post, I want to share some of the key lessons I learned from the book and how they have helped me in building Eloovor and Paiper last year.
Short info about both products, Paiper is a document intelligence app that help users understand their documents easily and Eloovor is a platform that help users optimize their job search process and automate the boring things that they have to do during a job search.
While both apps followed same approach, Paiper was a complete failure and it was different with Eloovor.
It's important to mention Paiper and my failure here as although the principles in the books are instrumental and helped me build and launch both products, no principles guarantee success. They do however teach important things that are important in the journey. For me, It was understanding when to stop building a product and move to next one and how important sharing the progress is.
Here are some of the key lessons I learned from the book:
1. Speed is Your Best Friend
The faster you launch your product, the quicker you’ll know if people actually want to use it. In the past, I have spent countless hours perfecting a product before showing it to anyone, only to realize while launching that no one really needs it—or they need something slightly different.
Getting your product out early means you can start gathering real user feedback, understand how people use it, and identify what features they actually care about. Instead of assuming what your users want, let them show you.
This helped me understand that while I might find my document intellegence app useful, There are different types concers that people have when it comes to these kind of apps and reasons why they will not use it (mostly due to privacy). This also helped me understand very early that file storage services (Google Drive, iCloud) can kill the entire product by just launching a small addon feature.
2. Launch Quickly and Launch Often
A common misconception we all have is that our product needs to be perfect before launch. In reality, launching quickly and frequently gives you the best shot at improving over time. By pushing updates regularly, you can iterate based on user feedback and adapt to what the market actually needs. This approach is not only efficient but also keeps your product relevant and evolving. Think of your product as a living, breathing entity that grows with your audience.
More than 50% of the new features and 80% of the existing feature enhancements that we do on Eloovor right now are based on user feedback and how they are using the product.
3. Share Your Ideas and Progress
One of the biggest mistakes I made everytime I built something was to keep my ideas a secret because of the fear of someone stealing my idea.
The book mentions this exact fear among many builders and explains how execution is far more important than the idea itself. Even if someone tries to copy you, they won’t have the same vision, passion, or understanding of the problem as you do. More importantly, sharing your progress builds interest, attracts early adopters, and allows you to gather valuable feedback from potential users before you even launch.
4. Let Growth Happen Organically
In the early stages of the product, growth should feel natural. If people truly need what you’re building, they will use it and tell others about it. Focus on solving a real problem and making your product as useful as possible. Word-of-mouth marketing and organic engagement will be much stronger indicators of success than artificial growth hacks. If you find yourself constantly pushing your product onto people rather than them discovering it naturally, it might be time to reassess your product-market fit.
We only shared Eloovor on some subreddits and app repositories but overtime the users found value through the app, they started sharing the app on their own, we even got featured into different places like There is an AI for that - Biggest AI apps repository, The AI Report - Newsletter with 500k+ subscribers organically.
5. Monetization is Validation
A great way to validate your idea is by seeing if people are willing to pay for it. If you can convince even a small group of users to pay early on, it’s a strong sign that your product holds real value. Free users are great for growth, but paying customers show that your idea has true market demand. Instead of chasing vanity metrics like downloads or sign-ups, focus on revenue early to ensure your product is built on a solid foundation.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend reading MAKE if you’re a builder or entrepreneur looking to create something new. The book is full of practical advice and real-world examples that will help you navigate the complexities of building a product from scratch.
The first example in the book is the book itself
Get your product into people’s hands as soon as possible, embrace organic growth, share your progress openly, and focus on building something people actually want.