if you build it, they will come

proverb

Creating the right circumstances for a goal will result in that goal realizing itself.

“Once we got the product out, I'm sure we will see the sector skyrocket! Sure, there might be very little market demand now, but if you build it, they will come.”

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Creating the right circumstances for a goal will result in that goal realizing itself.

    Once we got the product out, I'm sure we will see the sector skyrocket! Sure, there might be very little market demand now, but if you build it, they will come.

    1 more example

    The region may be sparsely populated now, but our new infrastructure project will surely attract tons of development and investment. If you build it, they will come.

Origin

From the 1989 film Field of Dreams.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

if you build it, they will come. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20you%20build%20it%2C%20they%20will%20come

MLA

“if you build it, they will come.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20you%20build%20it%2C%20they%20will%20come. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “if you build it, they will come,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20you%20build%20it%2C%20they%20will%20come.

Source: if you build it, they will come on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.