## Build first. Talk later.
Ideas are cheap. Execution is not.
Shipping real software forces clarity. You learn what users actually want, what breaks under pressure, and which decisions matter long-term.
### Why this matters
- Ideas don’t survive contact with reality
- Shipping creates leverage
- Products speak louder than pitches
When you build first, you’re no longer asking for belief—you’re offering proof.
## What “building” actually means
Building isn’t polishing demos or collecting screenshots. It’s:
- Writing code that runs every day
- Fixing bugs that users actually hit
- Maintaining systems after launch
- Saying no to features that don’t earn their place
That restraint compounds.
## A quick code example
Here’s a simple, real-world snippet—nothing fancy:
```python
def ship(feature):
if not feature.tests_pass():
return "Fix it first"
deploy(feature)
return "Live"