Exactly. My first few projects I bought domains and set up google apps for those domains, paid to have logos done, etc. After 3 or 4 failed experiments on different domains I realized how much time I was wasting setting up all this stuff when I should have just started building first.
Although, a component of why I did that was because I had big dreams. I wanted to "play startup" because I didn't actually have any clue how to build one. The obvious thing that you see about every company is their public website and their logo, so it makes sense to start mimicking that first.
The irony is that once you start to understand how to actually build a company you often end up picking a name and incorporating as the LAST thing. In fact, you try to avoid it for as long as you reasonably can because it makes you lose your focus on just simply building an excellent product.
Funnily enough I am completely the opposite way round.
I always wanted to start writing the code first, but then started realising that was a waste of time if there was no-one to sell it to.
So now I always start with trying to find customers, via a simple sign-up page or similar, before I even think about writing code.
Not saying that either approach is right, but interesting that we've come at it from opposite angles, and both ended up changing our opinions completely!
I come from this path too. I've usually found that writing code is too easy. Confronting the potential customers is harder to do and I believe the hard part of the business.
IMHO
It probably depends on what exactly the idea is, but yeah I think what you are saying has a lot of value. I never made a sign up page. It was like, "I'm going to build the next reddit.com" kind of ideas. I don't think a sign up page would get you anywhere with something like that.
Although, a component of why I did that was because I had big dreams. I wanted to "play startup" because I didn't actually have any clue how to build one. The obvious thing that you see about every company is their public website and their logo, so it makes sense to start mimicking that first.
The irony is that once you start to understand how to actually build a company you often end up picking a name and incorporating as the LAST thing. In fact, you try to avoid it for as long as you reasonably can because it makes you lose your focus on just simply building an excellent product.