Distribution Determined Design

Distribution channels shape which products get built, the author argues, and founders should love their distribution channel or find a new business. The essay ties this to mobile games, where paid ads act as both user acquisition and user research, with studios using ad feedback to decide which features to build. It contrasts NeXT, which sold to universities whose slow committee decisions clashed with Steve Jobs's decisive style and led NeXT to exit hardware, with Apple's later advertising and retail approach. It also points to Elon Musk, The Browser Company and Rostra's founder-led "go direct" model as examples of distribution-driven strategy.