Starting a Business as a Software Engineer
Date Published
A lot of product advice gets lost in jargon. “MVP.” “Product-market fit.” “Customer-centric roadmaps.” But here’s one idea that cuts through all of that: finish the loop.
The “loop” is simple: it’s the core experience of your product, from start to finish. If you’re building a blog, it means being able to write and publish a post, then view it live on the internet. That’s the loop. If you’re building a marketplace, it’s listing a product, buying it, and confirming the transaction. Until that’s possible — until the user can complete the full journey — you don’t have a product. You have a prototype.
Why the Loop Matters
The loop is the foundation of your flywheel. If it doesn’t turn, nothing compounds. No growth. No feedback. No learning.
“Closing the loop” is more than business speak — it’s the bare minimum to start operating. You can build complexity on top of a closed loop. You can’t build on top of a broken one.
So your first priority is not scaling, not virality, not even revenue. Your priority is to finish the loop and get it live. That means shipping a working product, with a clear entry point (landing page), and a clear outcome (a completed action).
What Your First Version
Needs
Too many people treat the MVP like an excuse to cut corners. Don’t. Your MVP shouldn’t require a rewrite two months later. You’re not validating a figment — you’re launching a foundation.
Here’s what’s non-negotiable in your v1:
Types — Know what data your system expects and produces. Future you will thank you.
API — Abstract your logic from the UI from the start. This keeps you extendable.
Logging — If something breaks, you need to know.
Analytics — If nobody uses your product, you need to know.
SEO basics — Especially if you’re building anything content-related, this isn’t optional.
You’re not building a toy. You’re building Operational Mode — a real product that can run, gather data, and grow.
Operation: Feedback
Once you’re operational, your job shifts. Now the flywheel is spinning — slowly, maybe, but spinning. Your job now is to listen.
That starts with anyone. Friends. Family. Colleagues. You need a signal, no matter how weak. You’re not looking for praise — you’re looking for reality. “Was this confusing?” “Did it work?” “Would you come back?”
Eventually, you’ll want targeted feedback. That means finding users who represent your actual audience. Pay them if you have to. Buy them lunch. Trade favors. This is where your network becomes an asset.
Don’t Guess. Observe.
Start tracking behavior. Use analytics to build simple cohorts — who signs up, who completes the loop, and who drops off. Then go talk to them. Especially the ones who churn after finishing the loop — they’re the ones who gave it a real try.
Every insight is a turn of the flywheel. Every fix compounds.
Closing Thought
You’re not just building software. You’re building momentum. And it all starts with a complete, functioning loop.
So finish the loop. Get to operational mode. And start listening.