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The Builder’s Blind Spot: Whom Did You Build For?

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By Godwin

 We’ve all been there. The late nights, the endless spreadsheets, the "one more thing" before we call it a day. You spend weeks, months, or even years crafting something. You refine the architectural lines, you obsess over the finishings, or you cultivate a product until it’s "perfect."

Then you stand back, look at your creation, and the silence hits you.

Whom did you build this for?

The Onion Dilemma

I recently spoke with a friend who poured his heart into growing onions. He grew a magnificent crop, but as he looked at his harvest, he realised the hardest part wasn't the soil or the water; it was the realisation that he now had to go out and find a market.

He had the product, but he hadn't identified the person.

In real estate, we see this constantly. We see developers break ground on luxury high-rises in a market screaming for affordable middle-class housing. We see homeowners over-capitalise on renovations that suit their specific, niche tastes but alienate every future buyer in Harare. We build the "perfect" thing, only to realise we built it for a ghost.

The Trap of "Perfect"

Why do we do this? Often, it’s because we let perfect stand in the way of good.

We get so caught up in the craft, the building, the growing, the technical excellence and then we forget that a product only has value if it solves a problem for someone else.

  • The "Perfect" Product: Is often a monument to the builder's ego.

  • The "Good" Product: Is a bridge to the customer’s needs.

If you are building a real estate portfolio, or even just preparing a single property for sale, ask yourself the hard question before you lay the first brick: Who is going to live here? What is their daily commute like? What keeps them up at night?

Looking "After the Fact"

If you find yourself looking for a market after the product is finished, you aren't an entrepreneur; you’re a gambler.

The most successful projects in our city aren't always the flashiest. They are the ones who knew exactly who they were for before the foundation was even poured. They didn't build for "everyone"; they built for someone.

So, as you look at your current project, whether it's a house, a business, or a dream—I ask you: Whom are you building for?

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