8 Lessons I learned From Writing an Unsuccessful Book

In 2021, I published a book that went on to sell less than 100 copies. 8 lessons I learned from this worthwhile failure.

1. Feedback from final users (or readers) is non-negotiable. Be suspicious of your own judgement when building for others—you might realize that your “great” ideas were not as great as you initially thought.
2. You should not fear rejection as much as you should fear indifference. The main obstacle isn’t criticism, but irrelevance.
3. Product and marketing are inextricably linked. You should be willing to invest as much time/effort on marketing as you did on product building.
4. If masters of the craft take years to build something, don’t think that something you made in four months will be equally successful. Feel free to make it, but adjust your expectations accordingly.
5. If your expectations are in line with reality, go for it—you will never regret completing a big challenge that few others even attempt.
6. #5 is true even if the product doesn’t get the results you expected later on. The lessons, knowledge or your own limits, and self-confidence that you will gain will pay the price. Caveat: this applies as long as you’re not losing other clearly-better opportunities.
7. Writing a book is NOT a profitable business. There are far better options. Caveat: unless you’re already famous.
8. Expect your first big project to suck, and take it with grace. Masters of all crafts require several attempts to hit gold, so do not be afraid to acknowledge that your first iteration is not as great as you initially imagined.