Running a business is hard. You have to worry about a thousand things at once: money, marketing, employees, and the biggest puzzle of all—figuring out what your customers actually want.
What if I told you there was a cheat code? A simple idea that could cut through the noise and make every decision easier?
It’s this: Build the business you would want to buy from.
Stop guessing what your customers want. Instead, become your own perfect customer. Think about what frustrates you when you shop. Think about what makes you happy. Think about what would make you loyal to a brand for life.
Then, build that.
This isn’t just a nice idea. It’s a powerful strategy. When you build a business for someone just like you, you’ll never be lost. You’ll always know the next right step. This is how you turn first-time buyers into lifelong fans.
Chapter 1: Why This “Cheat Code” Works So Well
Why is looking inward such a powerful tool? Because it replaces guesswork with genuine feeling.
Most businesses start by trying to find a “target market.” They create a fictional character—“Marketing Mary” or “Business Owner Bob”—and try to imagine what she wants. This is helpful, but it’s still a guess. It’s like trying to describe a color you’ve never seen.
When you build a business for yourself, you know the customer intimately. You know their pain, their dreams, their pet peeves, and their secret desires. You don’t have to imagine—you know.
This approach fixes three big problems:
It Kills Indecision: Should we offer free shipping? Should we have a 30-day return policy? Should we answer emails after 5 PM? If you’re building for yourself, the answers are clear. You know what you would expect. Decisions become fast and easy.
It Builds Authenticity: Customers can smell a fake from a mile away. They know when a company is just following a checklist. But when a business is built on a real passion for solving a real problem, it feels different. It feels human. People connect with that honesty.
It Drives Constant Improvement: You are never “done.” Since you are the customer, you are always noticing little things that could be better. A slow website. Unclear instructions. Packaging that’s hard to open. You will naturally always be tweaking and improving to make the experience perfect for you—which means it’s also perfect for your customers.
Chapter 2: How to Become Your Own Best Customer (The Mindset Shift)
This is more than a strategy; it’s a mindset. You need to switch your hat from “business owner” to “customer.” You have to practice empathy for your own experience.
Start by remembering what it’s like to be a customer. Think about the last few things you bought online or in a store.
What made a experience great?
What made you roll your eyes in frustration?
What company have you told your friends about, and why?
Chances are, the great experiences had little to do with the product being “the best” in the world. They had to do with how you were treated. They were easy, clear, and human.
The cheat code means you promise to give your customers that same feeling. You vow to never put them through the annoyances you hate.
Chapter 3: Putting the Cheat Code into Action: A Step-by-Step Guide
Okay, so how do you actually do this? It’s about applying this “for me” filter to every single part of your business.
Step 1: Audit Your Own Customer Journey
Go through your own business exactly as a new customer would. Be brutally honest.
The Website Visit: Is your website easy to navigate? Can you find what you’re looking for in three clicks? Is the “Buy Now” button obvious? Is the loading speed fast, or does it make you want to leave?
The Buying Process: How many steps does it take to check out? Is it confusing? Do you ask for too much information? Would you feel comfortable entering your credit card details?
After the Sale: What is the confirmation email like? Is it clear and helpful, or just a boring receipt? How is the product packaged? Is it a delight to open, or a struggle? Is the product itself easy to use right away?
Customer Service: How easy is it to find your contact information? If you sent an email with a question, would you be happy with the speed and tone of the reply?
At every step, ask one simple question: “Would I be happy with this if I were the customer?”
Step 2: Build an Experience You Would Love
Now, use your answers to rebuild. Don’t just meet the standard; set a new one that would impress you.
Quality: Don’t sell anything you wouldn’t be proud to own yourself. Use materials you respect. Offer a warranty you would trust.
Service: Build a customer service system that you would want to use. That means:
Being easy to reach.
Answering questions quickly.
Empowering your team to actually solve problems, not just read from a script.
Saying “sorry” when you mess up and meaning it.
Communication: Write emails and product descriptions that you would actually enjoy reading. Be clear, be friendly, and be helpful. Don’t use boring corporate language. Talk like a human.
Values: Stand for something you believe in. If you care about the environment, build sustainable practices into your business. If you value community, find ways to give back. Customers, especially today, connect with businesses that share their values.
Step 3: Never Stop Asking “What Would I Want?”
This isn’t a one-time exercise. It’s a question to ask every single day.
When designing a new product: “What features would I want this to have?”
When setting a price: “What would I feel is a fair price for the value I’m getting?”
When planning a marketing campaign: “What kind of ad would actually catch my attention and not annoy me?”
When hiring a new team member: “Is this someone I would enjoy being helped by?”
You are your own compass. Let your own expectations guide you.
Chapter 4: The Amazing Benefits You’ll See
When you commit to this cheat code, incredible things start to happen.
You Attract Your “Tribe.” You might think building a business for yourself is limiting. It’s the opposite! By being specific and authentic, you attract customers who are exactly like you. They will love what you love. They will value what you value. These aren’t just customers; they’re fans. They will become your most powerful marketers, telling everyone they know about you.
Marketing Becomes Easier. When you are your customer, you know exactly where they hang out online, what language they use, and what problems they talk about. You can create ads and content that speak directly to them because you are one of them. It stops feeling like selling and starts feeling like helping.
Pride and Passion Return. It’s easy to get burned out when you’re just chasing money. But building something you truly believe in and are proud of is incredibly energizing. It reignites the passion that made you start your business in the first place. You get to create the business you’ve always wished existed.
Conclusion: The Simplest Strategy is the Smartest
The world is full of complicated business advice. But the most powerful strategies are often the simplest.
You already have everything you need to succeed. You have your own experiences, your own frustrations, and your own dreams. That is your greatest competitive advantage.
Stop trying to guess what your customers want. Stop copying what your competitors are doing.
Instead, look in the mirror. See that person? That’s your blueprint. That’s your cheat code.
Build the business that would make you stop in your tracks.
Build the business that would make you loyal for life.
Build the business that you would absolutely love to buy from.
When you do that, you’ll never build alone. You’ll be building for everyone who is just like you. And that is how you build a business that doesn’t just make money, but makes a difference.
Grab my book! https://amzn.to/45Cm2ky
Hi, I’m Heather.
Let me help you scale your Utah $1M+ biz to $20M+
My credentials:
- Built & sold Queen of Wraps (yep, that’s my face on the side of I-15)
- Learned 1,769,230+ lessons so you skip trial-and-error
- Zero Ivy MBA (just pioneer grit + market-tested tactics)
Let’s talk if you’re:
- Ready to work on your business (not in it)
- Hitting $1M+ and knowing you’re built for more
- Have 10+ employees that need to see your vision
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