Fractional Advantage #21: Diving Deep into Founders’ Motivation—Why Are You Really Building This Product?

Happy Holidays from Delence! Cheers to an Incredible Year Ahead!

As we close out this year, we want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you—our incredible community of founders, leaders, and innovators. Your drive, vision, and commitment to building extraordinary things inspire us every single day.

2023 was a year of resilience and growth, 2024 promises continued innovation, but 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in tech yet. From more groundbreaking advancements in AI and the rise of smarter, leaner startups to an even deeper focus on ethical innovation, the opportunities ahead are limitless.

We believe that the next wave of tech will be fueled by leaders like you—those who combine bold ideas with purposeful execution. And we’re here to support you every step of the way with insights, strategies, and tools to make your vision a reality.

Here’s to 2025: A Year of Growth, Innovation, and Impact

As you recharge during the holidays, take a moment to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished this year and everything you’re building toward. The future is bright, and the best is yet to come.

From all of us at Delence, we wish you a holiday season filled with joy, gratitude, and meaningful moments with your loved ones.

See you in 2025—we can’t wait to see what you’ll build!?

Today, we’re tackling a deeply personal yet often overlooked question for founders:

I’ve had the privilege of meeting with hundreds of founders over the years, and one thing stands out almost every time: the need to deeply dissect their why before they even get started.

Too often, founders dive headfirst into building a product, focusing on features, market trends, or investor expectations without taking the time to reflect on the core motivation driving their work.?

Your why is the foundation for everything. It shapes your decisions, your resilience, and ultimately, the success of your product. Without clarity on this, even the best ideas can falter.

?Why are you really building this product?

This isn’t a surface-level inquiry. It’s not about what your pitch deck says or the buzzwords you’ve honed for investors.?

This is about diving into the heart of your motivation.?

Because in a world of endless apps, SaaS platforms, and next-gen solutions, your why is the foundation that holds everything together—or the silent fault line waiting to crack.

Why This Question Matters More Than Ever

It’s easy to get caught up in the mechanics of building a product—user flows, feature roadmaps, funding rounds, and market share. But at the core of every successful product lies a founder with a clear, driving purpose.?

That purpose shapes everything: your decision-making, your resilience during setbacks, your ability to inspire a team, and even your product’s eventual market fit.

Here’s the truth: if you’re building a product for the wrong reasons—or without fully understanding your motivations—it’s only a matter of time before you hit a wall.

When the excitement of launch fades or the challenges mount, the strength of your why will determine whether you pivot, persevere, or walk away.?

And for users, your motivation seeps into your product’s DNA. They can feel it when a product is built with intention versus when it’s rushed to market to chase a trend or funding goal.

Let’s dig deeper into the questions founders need to ask themselves to clarify their motivations—and how this clarity can make the difference between building something transformative and building something forgettable.

The Common Motivations (And Why They’re Not Enough)

Founders often point to motivations like solving a pain point, disrupting an industry, or achieving financial independence.?

While these are valid, they’re often the tip of the iceberg. Dig a little deeper, and you might find motivations that are more complex, personal, or even contradictory.

1. “I’m Solving a Pain Point I Experienced”

This is one of the most common founder narratives: “I built this product because I struggled with [X] and wanted to fix it.”?

It’s a compelling story, and it often resonates with investors and early adopters.?

But solving your own problem isn’t enough unless you also understand whether it’s a shared problem. Is the pain point you experienced universal enough to warrant a solution at scale??

Or is it a niche issue that only a small subset of people face?

2. “I Want to Build a Billion-Dollar Company”

There’s no shame in having financial success as a motivator.

Building wealth is a valid goal—after all, startups are businesses.?

But if money is your primary driver, you risk creating a product that feels transactional rather than purposeful. Users can tell when your vision stops at revenue and doesn’t extend to making their lives better.

3. “I’m Chasing the Hype”

In tech, it’s easy to get swept up in what’s trending. AI, blockchain, the creator economy—founders often want to attach themselves to the buzz. But hype-driven products burn out quickly if they lack substance.?

What’s in today may be irrelevant tomorrow, and if your only reason for building is riding a trend, you’ll struggle to adapt when the hype fades.

Finding Your True Why: Questions Every Founder Must Ask

If you’re struggling to articulate your deeper motivations—or just want to ensure you’re building on a solid foundation—these are the questions that can help clarify your purpose:

? What keeps me up at night about this problem? A powerful why often comes from a sense of urgency. If the problem you’re solving doesn’t feel pressing to you, it’s unlikely you’ll stick with it during tough times.

? Who am I really building this for? Are you building this product for users, investors, your ego, or a combination of all three? Be brutally honest. Knowing who you’re prioritizing will help you make better decisions.

? What will success look like beyond revenue? Imagine your product five years from now. Revenue is important, but what else do you hope it achieves? A strong whyextends beyond financial success and taps into the legacy you want to leave.

? Am I prepared to fall out of love with my idea? Being too attached to your original vision can blind you to better opportunities. Founders with a strong why can adapt because they’re focused on the bigger mission, not just their first idea.

How Your Motivation Shapes Your Product and Team

?? Turning Your Personal Experiences into a Market Opportunity Many founders are motivated by personal pain points, but the leap from personal to universal isn’t always straightforward. Validate your experience to ensure it resonates broadly, and expand your empathy to understand other users’ contexts.

?? Keeping Your Team Aligned with Your Motivation Your why isn’t just about you—it’s about the people who join you on this journey. Embedding your purpose in onboarding, storytelling, and team rituals keeps your mission at the center of everything.

?? When to Reevaluate Your Motivation As your product grows, your initial why may no longer fully align with where you’re headed. Recognize signs of misalignment, stay connected to evolving user needs, and embrace change as a strength.

Real-World Example: Motivation in Action

The Slack Story

When Stewart Butterfield and his team created Slack, their initial motivation wasn’t to build a messaging platform.?

They were working on a failed game project, but during that time, they developed an internal communication tool to help their team collaborate more effectively.

Their why evolved when they realized the tool had the potential to solve a widespread problem for other teams.?

It wasn’t just about creating a better chat app—it was about transforming how teams worked together. That clarity of purpose shaped Slack into the intuitive, productivity-enhancing platform it is today.

Your why is more than just a personal mantra—it’s the foundation of your product, your leadership, and your long-term vision.

A clear, authentic why provides direction, sustains resilience, and inspires not only you but your team and users as well.

As you move forward, take the time to reflect deeply on your motivation. Ask yourself the tough questions, embrace the answers, and let your why guide every decision, pivot, and innovation.

Because when your purpose is clear, your product won’t just solve problems—it will create lasting impact.

If you’re ready to clarify your why and align it with a bold, actionable roadmap for sustainable success, look no further.

Check out the link in my bio to explore our Visionary Strategic Blueprint—a game-changing framework designed to turn your motivation into a clear plan for growth, transformation, and impact. ??

But we’re not stopping there. Join us every Thursday at 11 AM CT for our All Things Tech Leadership podcast—your go-to weekly dose of real-world insights, strategies, and inspiring conversations with some of the brightest minds in the industry. It’s your time to refocus, recharge, and elevate your leadership game.

And if you’re ready to start 2025 stronger than ever, we’ve got something special for you: a free consultation for CEOs and entrepreneurs who are ready to take their products to the next level. Whether you’re crafting something new or scaling a proven idea, we’ll help you build a strategy that works and sets you up for a year of success.

As the year winds down, take this time to recharge, celebrate your wins, and dream big for what’s ahead. 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in tech, and we’re thrilled to be part of your journey.

From all of us at Delence, we wish you a holiday season filled with joy, reflection, and inspiration.

Let’s make 2025 extraordinary—together! ??

?? Happy Holidays,

The Delence Team