Hey demand chasers—
We’ve all heard it. “That product sells itself.” It’s the ultimate compliment—part envy, part resignation. But is it true?
Do some products really defy gravity and move on their own, without the push and pull of marketing? Or are we just blind to the invisible hands doing the selling?
Let’s break the myth apart. And maybe burn it a little.
The Illusion of the Self-Selling Product
There’s a seductive fantasy in business: if something is so good, it doesn’t need marketing.
Think of ChatGPT in late 2022. Ferrari. iPhone. The Birkin bag. Taylor Swift tickets. They all seem to flow through the market by some mysterious inertia. But that’s not absence of marketing. That’s marketing so deeply embedded, so culturally entrenched, that we no longer recognize it as such.
Ferrari doesn’t “sell.” It withholds. No test drives. No discounts. No influencer collabs. It’s scarcity turned into prestige. Every PR release is a masterclass in reverse psychology.
The Birkin bag has zero advertising spend. Yet has a waiting list, resale market, and entire YouTube channels dissecting “how to get one.” It’s the product equivalent of a religious artifact.
Taylor Swift? A billion-dollar tour machine powered by social currency, layered storytelling, Easter eggs, fan communities, media manipulation and a personal brand curated with surgical precision.
None of these are self-selling. They’re just so well-marketed they feel organic.
When Demand Exceeds Supply, Marketing Changes Clothes
Marketing isn’t always persuasion. Sometimes it’s framing. Sometimes it’s restraint.
In economics, when demand consistently exceeds supply, the job of marketing shifts. It’s no longer about pushing product.
It’s about managing desire.
This is what happened with Nintendo’s Wii, where artificial scarcity led to a 50% jump in media coverage and secondhand prices skyrocketing. Or with Glossier, where user-generated content, exclusivity drops, and minimalist branding made fans feel like insiders.
These strategies aren’t passive. They’re calculated. And they work because they understand that human psychology wants what it thinks it can’t have.
The Myth Is Dangerous (Especially for Startups)
Believing that great products sell themselves is a dangerous bias. It leads founders to underinvest in marketing, delay go-to-market planning, or ignore feedback loops.
In a 2023 survey by First Round Capital, 79% of failed startup founders cited “poor marketing execution”as a core reason for collapse.
Not product. Not funding. Marketing.
Stripe had a better developer experience. But it also built a legendary blog, launched on Hacker News, did partnerships with Y Combinator, and crafted elegant documentation.
Airbnb had photos. Craigslist didn’t. And they made sure everyone noticed.
If It Sells Itself, It’s Because Someone Worked for That
If a product seems to sell itself, it’s likely because:
- Someone shaped the narrative early.
- Someone built a community.
- Someone invested in design.
- Someone obsessed over product-market fit.
- Someone whispered in the right ears.
You just didn’t see it.
The “self-selling” myth is often just post-rationalized success. A product that looks effortless is usually the result of effort so well-deployed you missed it.
So… Does It Exist?
The honest answer? Rarely.
Some products catch a viral wave—timing, network effects, and a bit of luck. But even then, luck is just a name we give to unseen preparation.
Marketing isn’t just ads and copy. It’s product design. It’s timing. It’s distribution. It’s how you’re talked about when you’re not in the room.
So next time someone says, “This sells itself,” smile. And ask them: “Who made it look that way?”
Until next time, stay skeptical.
Alex
f your product’s great but no one knows it, you don’t need better luck. You need better marketing. At Kredo, we help brands design the demand they deserve.
Let’s make your product actually sell itself—by design.
