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A lot of the simple advice needs further unpacking, too. I've seen founders interpret "Make something people want" in all sorts of ways, as belied by their beha

A lot of the simple advice needs further unpacking, too. I've seen founders interpret "Make something people want" in all sorts of ways, as belied by their behavior: - "Make something nobody wants, then keep adding features until something magical happens." - "Copy another app that people already use, but add 'better' or 'faster' or 'easier' or 'prettier' in my marketing copy." - "Survey my users and build whatever they tell me, no questions asked." - "Build features that align with my own personal vision of what the product should look like, then hope that other people want it." - "Create 1/5th of an ambitious product that people want." - "Do an excellent job solving a trivial pain point that nobody cares about solving." - "Make something completely new and unique that the world has never seen before, regardless of whether or not anybody wants it."

freehunter 9y ago
>"Build features that align with my own personal vision of what the product should look like, then hope that other people want it." To be fair this is by far the most common startup advice. Make a product for yourself, because if you've having a problem others likely are too. The only place you fall into a trap here is if you're both unwilling to change the design in the future and you're wrong about the design.
- zbentley 9y ago
  > The only place you fall into a trap here is if you're both unwilling to change the design in the future and you're wrong about the design. I'd change the "and" to an "or": is if you're unwilling to change the design in the future or you're wrong about the design. This is because: 1. Even if you're right about the design, and can make people want it, the market (which drives what people want/can be made to want) may change. You will have to change, usually sooner than you think; a great vision doesn't prevent the need for that. 2. If you're wrong about the design or don't have a good sense for "what is needed/works", no number of pivots will save you, because each pivot will likely be to something that people either don't need or doesn't work. A failure in either is a kiss of death.
  - freehunter 9y ago
    Fair enough. I was thinking along the lines of Apple, where Steve Jobs knew exactly what he wanted and was very reluctant to bow to market pressure or critics because his vision was always the right vision. Or Basecamp, refusing to add new features or at least putting new features into spin-off companies to not compromise their initial vision. Either of these companies received a death sentence the day they were created... except they were right, so they succeeded. Your comment shows its not black and white, there are many shades of grey in between.
josephjrobison 9y ago
Wow that’s a great summary and so true. Totally agree that the short quippy phrases that people repeat are actually dangerous if that’s all you go by. There’s layers of meaning and they can be interpreted in so many ways as you show. “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”
joewadcan 9y ago
Super true. I wonder if this (more granular) decision making is so unique to circumstances like team, idea, and market... that folks can only give the more generic advice without steering someone down a wrong path.

freehunter 9y ago

>"Build features that align with my own personal vision of what the product should look like, then hope that other people want it." To be fair this is by far the most common startup advice. Make a product for yourself, because if you've having a problem others likely are too. The only place you fall into a trap here is if you're both unwilling to change the design in the future and you're wrong about the design.

zbentley 9y ago
> The only place you fall into a trap here is if you're both unwilling to change the design in the future and you're wrong about the design. I'd change the "and" to an "or": is if you're unwilling to change the design in the future or you're wrong about the design. This is because: 1. Even if you're right about the design, and can make people want it, the market (which drives what people want/can be made to want) may change. You will have to change, usually sooner than you think; a great vision doesn't prevent the need for that. 2. If you're wrong about the design or don't have a good sense for "what is needed/works", no number of pivots will save you, because each pivot will likely be to something that people either don't need or doesn't work. A failure in either is a kiss of death.
- freehunter 9y ago
  Fair enough. I was thinking along the lines of Apple, where Steve Jobs knew exactly what he wanted and was very reluctant to bow to market pressure or critics because his vision was always the right vision. Or Basecamp, refusing to add new features or at least putting new features into spin-off companies to not compromise their initial vision. Either of these companies received a death sentence the day they were created... except they were right, so they succeeded. Your comment shows its not black and white, there are many shades of grey in between.

josephjrobison 9y ago

Wow that’s a great summary and so true. Totally agree that the short quippy phrases that people repeat are actually dangerous if that’s all you go by. There’s layers of meaning and they can be interpreted in so many ways as you show. “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

joewadcan 9y ago

Super true. I wonder if this (more granular) decision making is so unique to circumstances like team, idea, and market... that folks can only give the more generic advice without steering someone down a wrong path.