Stop Building Vitamins, Make Painkiller Products That Truly Solve Problems

When you're building a digital product, you've probably heard this advice:

“Go B2B. That’s where the money is.”

That’s good advice. But here’s another one that might change the way you think forever:

“Build a painkiller, not a vitamin.”

Let’s break down what that really means, and why it’s crucial if you want your product to succeed.

The Vitamin vs. Painkiller Analogy

Think of your product like something people consume.

A vitamin is helpful, but optional.
A painkiller is essential, people need it right now.

In short:

Vitamins are “nice to have.”

Painkillers are “must-haves.”

The difference? Urgency and pain.

Let me elaborate it more,

What Is a Vitamin Product?

A vitamin product is good for you, in theory. But most people won’t stick to taking it. Why? Because they don’t feel the benefit right away. They know it’s useful, but there’s no pain if they skip it.

In the software world, vitamin products are the ones that sound good, but no one’s rushing to pay for.

Examples of vitamin products:

A new to-do list app with a beautiful UI.
A goal visualization dashboard with daily updates.
A Chrome extension that shows inspiring quotes on each new tab.
A curated directory of AI tools or marketing templates.
A habit tracker that sends reminders.

These tools might attract free users. They might even go viral on Product Hunt for a day or two. But they often struggle to generate consistent revenue.

Why?

Because no one wakes up at 3 AM thinking,

“I need a better way to track my goals.” (I hope now you got the point.)

What Is a Painkiller Product?

A painkiller product solves a real, pressing problem. It saves time, saves money, or prevents loss. People actively search for these tools. They’re willing to pay right now, because the pain is real.

These are the products that don't need a long sales pitch.

Examples of painkiller products:

Freelancer invoice generators that let users create and send invoices in seconds.
Chargeback fighting tools for online sellers who keep losing money to fraud.
API key exposure monitors that alert developers immediately if sensitive info is leaked.
Stripe Alternatives, an online directory that helps startups find new payment providers when Stripe is not available in their country or charges high fees.

These products target urgent needs, and that’s what makes them easy to sell.

Let’s make it even more real.

For eCommerce sellers: A plugin that alerts when a competitor lowers their price on Amazon.
For content creators: A tool that repurposes long videos into TikToks or Instagram Reels.

These are solutions people can’t afford to ignore, because they either save time, reduce loss, or help make money faster.

Why People Pay for Painkillers (Not Vitamins)

It all comes down to urgency and emotional pain.

People don't need to be convinced to take painkillers.

If your head is pounding, you’ll buy medicine now, not tomorrow.

But vitamins? You’ll just tell yourself:

"I’ll start next week. Maybe.”

If your product removes pain quickly, people will pay.

How to Know If Your Product Is a Vitamin or a Painkiller

Before you start building, ask these 3 questions:

Does this solve a painful, immediate problem?
Are people already searching for a solution like this?
Would someone pay money today to make this problem go away?

If the answer is no to any of them…

You might be building a vitamin.

That doesn’t mean it’s useless, it just means monetizing it will be harder. You’ll need to educate people, build habits, and hope they stick around long enough to see the value.

In Short, Build What People Need

If you're an indie hacker, solopreneur, or bootstrapped founder, time and energy are limited.

Don’t build what’s fun.

Build what hurts people to live without.

“Is this a ‘nice to have’ or a ‘must have’?”

Ask yourself this every time you think of a new idea.

✅ If it solves a problem that costs people time, money, or peace of mind.

→ It’s a painkiller. Go for it.

❌ If it sounds fun or interesting but no one really needs it.

→ It’s a vitamin. Be careful.

If you keep this mindset, your next idea won’t just be clever.

It will be profitable.