Focus on your product. A lot of people focus on the name of their

The words of Payal Kadakia ring with clarity and timeless wisdom: “Focus on your product. A lot of people focus on the name of their brand or the legal aspects, but it's more important to create your product. It's why people join. It's your vision. Without your product, nothing is going to happen.” In this declaration lies a lesson as ancient as human endeavor itself: that the heart of any enterprise, whether in commerce, craft, or governance, is not in titles, permissions, or outward appearances, but in the substance of what one offers to the world. Kadakia reminds us that vision and creation are the foundations upon which success is built.

The origin of this insight comes from Kadakia’s experience founding ClassPass, a platform that transformed the fitness industry by connecting users to multiple gyms and studios. In her early days, she witnessed countless entrepreneurs distracted by legal frameworks, brand names, and superficial marketing, while the core of their enterprise — the product itself — languished. Her observation is both practical and philosophical: the product is the embodiment of vision, the tangible manifestation of an idea, and the reason others are drawn to support and participate. Without it, the brightest name or the most meticulous paperwork cannot sustain momentum.

From the perspective of the ancients, this truth resonates across civilizations. In Athens, craftsmen were celebrated not for the beauty of their signatures, but for the excellence of the pottery, sculpture, or armor they created. Similarly, Roman architects gained enduring fame not through the legal ownership of their plans, but through the grandeur and utility of the aqueducts, roads, and theaters they built. Kadakia’s words echo this wisdom: product precedes recognition, for a creation of substance will inevitably draw attention, loyalty, and respect.

Consider the story of Johannes Gutenberg, whose invention of the printing press transformed the world. Had he focused solely on securing legal protections or promoting his name, the press might never have achieved its transformative potential. Gutenberg’s success lay in his relentless focus on the product itself — the ability to reproduce texts accurately and efficiently. The vision, the technical mastery, and the tangible creation were what ultimately changed societies, literacies, and histories, illustrating Kadakia’s principle that without the product, nothing is going to happen.

Kadakia also touches upon the power of vision. A product is more than a physical object or service; it embodies the ideals, intentions, and foresight of its creator. People do not join enterprises merely because of a name or legality; they join because they see in the product a reflection of purpose and possibility. In this sense, the product is a beacon, drawing collaborators, investors, and communities toward the shared vision. The name or legal formality matters little if the product fails to inspire, serve, or deliver.

The lesson extends beyond business into all human endeavors. Artists, philosophers, leaders, and inventors throughout history have succeeded not because they mastered bureaucratic systems, but because they created something of value. Leonardo da Vinci painted masterpieces; Socrates taught questions; Ibn Sina wrote treatises. Their renown followed the substance of their contributions, not the legal or titular structures surrounding them. Kadakia reminds us that focus on creation, for the world rewards those who deliver value before they seek recognition.

Moreover, her insight emphasizes patience and perseverance. Building a product requires dedication, iteration, and resilience. Legal structures, branding, and marketing can follow, but the core effort must lie in creation. To prioritize the latter is to honor the natural order of progress: substance first, form later. The market, the audience, and even history will recognize and reward what is authentic, functional, and visionary.

Thus, the words of Payal Kadakia endure as counsel for all who seek to bring ideas into reality: let your vision manifest in tangible, meaningful creation. Nurture the product with skill, care, and attention, and allow recognition, legal protection, and branding to follow naturally. For the essence of achievement is not in paperwork or prestige, but in what you build and how it touches the world. Without the product, even the grandest intentions remain shadows; with it, legacy begins.