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Why we picked it This is the sharpest answer to the actual worry: Cohen names the sample-of-one problem directly and unpacks the seven hidden assumptions buried inside "I built it for myself." It does not tell you your itch is disqualifying, it tells you exactly which claims to go test before you trust it. Pair it with the Graham essay so you get both the case for and the honest cautions against building for someone exactly like you.
"I scratched my own itch" isn't good enough
From A Smart Bear (Jason Cohen, founder of WP Engine) by Jason Cohen ~2,500 words, 12 minute read
- Your own itch is a hypothesis, not proof. You are a sample of one, and problems vastly outnumber real markets.
- The trap is empathy, not passion: because you were frustrated enough to build, you are unlike the typical customer who just tolerates "good enough".
- The fix is to interview real potential customers systematically instead of assuming they are like you, and to confirm they actively want a solution and have budget.