We were getting enquiries about Agape before the retreat was open. People had been following the build, and some wanted to talk about staying before we had finished the place.
That was a useful result of documenting the work over a long period. We had something for people to watch while we were still creating the business.
A physical build gives you plenty to show. There are decisions, problems, materials and changes people can see. Sharing those pieces let us tell the story before there was a finished property to photograph.
I was still building the product, in that sense, while also learning how to explain it. The content was helping us discover which parts of the project people cared about.
The enquiries didn't mean the whole business was proven. We still had to finish the retreat and operate it. But there was interest we could work with when the doors eventually opened.
That's why I think it is useful to look for things you can share before launch. You don't have to wait until every piece is finished to let someone understand what you're making and why.
It can also give you a reason to keep records of the early work. Those first decisions become part of the story people couldn't see if you only appeared with a finished result.
For Agape, the construction and the marketing happened together. By the time we talked about opening, some people already knew the place and had a reason to ask about it.
