Read time: 1 min 05 sec.

I've been thinking a lot about something... 

For the first time ever, the next wave of successful app founders won't be engineers.

They won't know a single thing about coding.

The reason? 

AI has made building easier than ever.

If you can type a sentence, you can build an app.

Which means building is no longer the moat.

So what is?

It's something I like to call the "A-word."

ATTENTION.

There's a famous saying I love:

"First-time founders focus on product... 

Second-time founders focus on distribution."

Why?

Because if nobody knows you exist, your product dies.

Attention is everything in 2026. 

It gets you users. It makes you money.

And even if your product isn't perfect, attention gives you the feedback to fix it.

A mediocre product with attention will beat the best product without it.

Every single time.

Whenever somebody asks me how to win, here are the rules I give them:

  • Get attention before your product exists.

  • Get attention while you build.

  • Get attention when you launch.

  • Get attention after you launch.

Always. Be. Getting. Attention.

That's the whole game now.

If you're new to building, here's a list of side project ideas you can start today (even with a 9-5).

Pick one.

Build your MVP fast.

And then get as much attention as you can on it. 

Let's go!! 

– Pat

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