Why Your Business Isn’t Getting Traction (You’re Giving, Not Serving)

I once created a product rooted in purpose.

It wasn’t random. It wasn’t just creative for the sake of creating.
I was trying to do something meaningful—something that would genuinely help the people I had in mind.

It made sense to me.
It felt aligned.
It even got interest—people leaned in, asked questions, engaged.

But it didn’t sell in the way I expected.

At the time, I thought I had a marketing problem.
In reality, I had built something that wasn’t closely enough aligned with the people I wanted to serve.

And not long after, I watched a different version of a similar idea enter the market… and take off.

That moment stayed with me.

Because it challenged something I believed:

That if what you’re creating is good—and comes from the right place—that should be enough.

But it’s not.

Have you heard the mantra—
it’s better to give than to receive?

We’ve heard that phrase our entire lives.

But what if we’ve misunderstood it?

Because the best gift givers don’t just give.

They consider.

They pay attention.
They listen.
They notice what brings someone joy.
They think about what would actually make someone smile—and then they give that.

That’s why some gifts feel so meaningful.
Not because they’re expensive… but because they’re accurate.

They reflect the recipient.

Now think about the opposite.

A gift that’s thoughtful… but off.
Something you appreciate—but don’t use.
Something that ends up in a drawer.

Not because it’s bad—
but because it wasn’t really for you.

That’s what I began to realize about my product.

It came from a good place.
But it wasn’t shaped closely enough around the person it was meant for.

And when that’s the case—traction is hard to find.

Not because the work isn’t valuable.
But because it doesn’t fully land.

And this shows up even more in social impact work.

We want to help—so we give what feels right.

If someone is unhoused, we give food.
If a community is struggling, we provide resources.

And those things matter.

But sometimes… we stop there.

We don’t always ask:

What is actually needed here?
What would create real change—not just immediate relief?
What does this person—or this community—say they need?

Because giving something good…
is not the same as giving what’s needed.

The shift

The most effective entrepreneurs—and the most effective change-makers—aren’t just creators.

They’re givers who listen.

They care enough to ask:

What do people actually want?
What are they already trying to solve?
What would feel like relief… dignity… progress?

And then—they build that.

Insight

Impact—whether in business or in community—isn’t created by giving what we think people should have.

It’s created by giving what they’ve been hoping to find.

When you get that right, something shifts.

You don’t have to convince people.
You don’t have to push.

They recognize it.

The same way you recognize a good gift.

This is the work most people skip.

We start by creating—before deeply understanding.
We give—before truly listening.

But real traction comes from building the bridge between the two:

Who you are.
And who you’re here to serve.

Closing

Maybe it really is better to give than to receive.

But only when what we’re giving…
is truly for the person receiving it.

Giving isn’t the same as serving.
Creating a product, service, or even a program for social good isn’t the same as delivering real value.