Proposition: Getting funding for emerging commercial space products is difficult because financing depends on the ability to demonstrate a realistic revenue stream based on real customers buying the product at some price point. In the case of commercial space markets, however, it's very difficult to demonstrate actual demand without having a product actually on the market first: the belief is that there is a "latent" demand that will emerge once there is actually something to buy.

So is there evidence that "If you build it, they will come."? Even with that evidence, will it be sufficient to change "potential" investors into "actual" investors?

Evidence in AGREEMENT with "If you build it, they will come":

• Before their first successful launch of the Falcon 1 and 9 vehicles, SpaceX had a manifest of signed contracts (with, I'm assuming, a paid-up down-payment) of 14 payloads.
• Armadillo Aerospace, after flying their Quad vehicle "Pixel" in the NASA Centennial Challenges Lunar Lander Challenge at the 2006 X PRIZE Cup, was approached by space agencies and private companies to use the Quads for purposes of testing new technologies.

Evidence for QUALIFIED AGREEMENT with "If you build it, they will come":

• Many times things that look like it was a case of "build it and they will come" have more to do with market timing. Sometimes that timing is intentional, most of the time its luck. (Based on comments by Michael M. below.)

Evidence in DISAGREEMENT with "If you build it, they will come":

• There is no demand for commercial space products other than from national space programs (such as NASA) or defense agencies.