AI has made building software easier than ever.
But distribution remains hard.
Interestingly, nature solved a similar problem millions of years ago.
A tree produces thousands of seeds. But it doesn't carry them everywhere.
The wind does. Birds do. Animals do.
Flowers offer nectar to bees. Bees get food. Flowers get pollinated.
The fascinating part? Bees aren't working for flowers. They're pursuing their own interests.
And that's where the business lesson begins.
1. Build products worth spreading.
Don't just ask how to acquire customers. Ask why someone would voluntarily introduce your product to another person.
2. Find your pollinators.
Who already serves your potential customers? Can your product help them succeed while helping you reach more people?
3. Build ecosystems, not isolated products.
One useful tool should naturally lead customers to another, creating more value with every connection.
There's another lesson from nature.
Producing thousands of seeds doesn't guarantee a thousand trees.
Similarly, thousands of downloads don't guarantee a successful software business.
Adoption, retention, and trust matter.
As I build Sriram Advisory, I'm increasingly convinced that the next competitive advantage in software may not be how quickly we build, but how intelligently we distribute.
Perhaps the winners won't be those who shout the loudest, but those who make it worthwhile for others to carry their products forward.
One question worth asking before building your next product:
Who benefits when my product spreads, apart from me?