As a software engineer, making content can feel like I'm avoiding work. I could be writing code, fixing something or adding a feature, and those things give me a much clearer sense of progress.
But if people don't know the business exists, I need to spend time helping them find it.
That became obvious when I recorded some long-overdue product demos. We'd built a lot, and a walkthrough could take twenty minutes. There was plenty to show. We just hadn't been showing it.
We also weren't doing enough content that explained what the product did and how it helped. We could make other kinds of content, but a potential customer still needed to understand the actual thing they might buy.
So I spent more time on marketing. It felt different from product work, partly because I could see the result of coding so directly. A finished feature is there in front of you. Helping people understand the business asks for a different kind of effort.
I have to keep reminding myself why I'm doing it. The point is to reach people who could use what we've built, explain the problem and show the value. That's part of running the business.
Building is comfortable for me. Marketing is work I've had to learn, and it can be easier to retreat into the part I already understand.
If you're a technical founder, notice when that happens. Another feature may be useful, but so may a clear demonstration of the features that already exist. Give the discovery and explanation work some time on the calendar as well.
