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Ask HN: Has any “stealth mode” become wildly successful?
Anecdotally, I tend to see "stealth mode" as a code smell for vapourware. Am I wrong? Is there data which supports the opposite view?
Traditionally, we are told not to fear letting people know about our idea and that "if you have a good idea you'll have to ram it down their throats."
- ShaneCurran 10y agoGmail first launched in stealth mode, I'd consider that a success :)
- Mz 10y agoI can't answer your actual question, but I can tell you that there are situations where you can get an excess of the wrong kinds of attention and it can be very problematic. Perhaps calling it "stealth mode" is a bad tactic. But there is (or can be) benefit to doing some of the legwork and not being too share-y (or not seeking too much publicity) at a certain stage, especially if it is something you will need to "cram down their throat." Babies gestate in darkness. Sometimes, projects need to do so as well.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- pryelluw 10y agoIve always felt that stealth mode is more about focusing on getting paying customers over creating hype. There are many profitable businesses that go unnoticed.
- soneca 10y agoNot sure about stealth, but Slack started with a very discreet private beta.
- shardinator 10y agoiPhone?