Essay · about a 10 minute read

Startups need dual theories on distribution and product/market fit. One is not enough

Andrew Chen · andrewchen.com Free Intermediate

This essay reframes the question you are actually asking. Chen argues that a startup needs two separate insights, one about the product and a distinct one about distribution (which channel actually reaches your buyers), and that defaulting to a channel because it is the obvious one is how most founders stall. It is the honest starting point for deciding whether Google is even your channel or just the assumed one.

• Product-market fit and a distribution insight are two different problems, and having a good product does not automatically tell you where your customers are.
• The best channels are usually specific and small at first, and often built into how the product spreads, not a generic default like search.
• If your buyers already gather somewhere (a network, a community), that is your channel to earn, not a channel you have to invent from scratch.