The Physics of Startups Buying is weird and rare (a reality check)
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May 1, 2026 They argue buying is much rarer than founders expect and why that breaks product-market fit. They explore how optimism and polite nods mislead creators into building products people find plausible but will not purchase. They explain the difference between pull and push, why existing alternatives often win, and recommend tightening who would be “weird not to buy.”
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Buying A Relevant Product Is Extremely Rare
- Buying a relevant product is extremely rare; the universe of things someone could reasonably buy is in the millions.
- Rob Snyder compares this rarity to being struck by lightning annually, reframing buying as an unlikely event even for relevant offers.
Postpurchase Rationalization Hides Massive Choice
- After a purchase we rationalize why it made sense but ignore the millions of other relevant products the buyer didn't choose.
- Rob cites Amazon SKUs, 4 million books yearly, and 30,000 grocery SKUs to show competing choice scale.
Stop Building For Every Big Pain
- Avoid building solutions just because people describe big pains; many big pains never translate into purchases.
- Rob Snyder warns founders that nodding prospects often won't buy because infinite other problems go unaddressed.