--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most common way customer financing is…" description: "\"The most common way customer financing is done is you sell the customer on the product before you've built it or before you've finished it. The custome..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/fred-wilson-8631_becomes_the-most-common-way-customer-financing-i_3114813.jpg" --- # The most common way customer financing is done is you sell… ![“The most common way customer financing is done is you sell the customer on the product before you've built it or before you've finished it. The customer puts up the money to build the product or finish the product and becomes your first customer. Usually the customer simply wants the product and…” quote by Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/fred-wilson-8631_becomes_the-most-common-way-customer-financing-i_3114813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/fred-wilson-8631_becomes_the-most-common-way-customer-financing-i_3114813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/fred-wilson-8631_becomes_the-most-common-way-customer-financing-i_3114813.jpg) > “The most common way customer financing is done is you sell the customer on the product before you've built it or before you've finished it. The customer puts up the money to build the product or finish the product and becomes your first customer. Usually the customer simply wants the product and nothing more.” [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Financing often relies on selling a product before it's completed, making the first customer a de‑facto investor. **In simple terms:** You fund the product by selling it early. Key Takeaway Secure early customers as investors. Themes entrepreneurship finance product development Mood cautious optimistic Type strategic advisory When to use this quote - startup launch - crowdfunding - prototype testing Key Concepts early‑stage funding customer validation Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure product readiness before early sales? - What safeguards protect early customers? A Different Perspective Risk of overpromising before delivery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Becomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becomes/) [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customer Financing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-financing-918296/) [Customer Puts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-puts-5449700/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Financing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financing/) [Financing Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financing-sell-5449698/) [Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product/) [Puts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puts/) [Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell/) [Sell Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell-customer-5449699/) [Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simply/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [Customers are a great way to finance a business for many reasons. 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