How to Build a Product from Scratch - What I Learned Turning an Idea Into Something Real
Everyone loves the “big reveal” moment-the glossy packaging, the product on the shelf, the excited customers. What they don’t see is everything that comes before it: the rough sketches, the failed attempts, the long nights wondering if it’s even worth it.
When I created Frescolive, I wasn’t trying to be an entrepreneur. I was just trying to fix a problem I kept running into during bar shifts. But that spark turned into a journey that taught me more than any business course ever could.
Here’s what I’ve learned about building a product from the ground up.
1. Start With a Real Problem
Frescolive didn’t come from a brainstorm. It came from frustration. Night after night, I dealt with messy garnish trays that slowed me down and looked terrible. If you’re solving your own problem, odds are you’re solving it for others, too.
2. Sketch Before You Spend
I drew the first versions of Frescolive on bar napkins and notebook paper. You don’t need a 3D model or a factory to start-just clarity of thought and a pen. Keep it scrappy. Sketch, refine, rethink. That’s your first blueprint.
3. Test It Yourself
Before anything went to a manufacturer, I tested early concepts behind the bar-during real service. That’s how I figured out what worked and what fell apart. Don’t build in a vacuum. Build where the product will actually live.
4. Expect Delays, Doubts, and Do-Overs
There were moments I shelved the idea. Bad prototypes. Manufacturers that didn’t get it. Patents that took forever. That’s all part of it. The key is to push through. If your belief in the product is stronger than the noise, you’ll keep going.
5. Launch Before You Feel “Ready”
If you wait until everything’s perfect, you’ll never start. I launched Frescolive at a trade show with what I had. It wasn’t flawless-but it was real. And that feedback fueled the next version. Progress beats perfection every time.
Final Thought
Building a product from scratch is equal parts craft, chaos, and conviction. Frescolive came from the trenches-not a corporate blueprint. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you’ve got an idea you can’t shake… good. That’s where every great product starts.
Thinking about building something of your own? I’d love to hear your story-drop a comment or shoot me a message.
