When Tair Asim helped build Sage, an AI-powered networking tool for builders, the team had the tech working... but building something usable is not the same as building something people will use.

In this clip, Tair reflects on what made Sage successful inside the buildspace community, and what he learned about trust, traction, and what early users need.

He shares how the product changed from a long onboarding process that only worked because early users believed in the brand, to something more approachable as the product matured.

It’s a rare inside look at the early-stage moments most people skip over when telling their "how we built this" story.

💡What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why Sage worked best when users already knew and trusted the team
• How the buildspace brand helped users stick around through friction
• What it felt like to build something people showed up for even when it wasn’t polished
• How starting with a narrow, familiar niche helped the team grow beyond it