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I still have a hard time buying into the lean startup method hook, line, and sinker. I think there is quite a bit of evidence in support of it, but a lot that f
by dkrich 15y ago
I still have a hard time buying into the lean startup method hook, line, and sinker. I think there is quite a bit of evidence in support of it, but a lot that flies in the face of it as well.
Certain features, for which presentation isn't critical, I would certainly want to deploy early and often. But that also seems to be contradictory to the dictum "execution is everything." Of course building something with excellent execution quickly is ideal, but if you release your product before it is what you believe is your best work, then aren't you kind of hurting what little chance you've got?
To draw an example, Palm had a touch screen phone and apps available for download in 2004. But their execution wasn't very good, and their software provided an awful experience. In 2007 Apple released the exact same idea but with far better execution, and the rest is history.
I'm not saying the lean startup method doesn't work, I just think it is highly dependent upon the product strategy.
- pyoung 15y agoI think it primarily applies to less capital intensive products, and more specifically software.
- alexro 15y agoYep, there is no silver bullet. Think, try, learn from mistakes - that's what lean is all about.
- wpietri 15y agoApple isn't the best example for two reasons. One, they're an established brand selling to a mature market. Startups are new brands selling to early adopters. Early adopters are very forgiving. Two, Apple also iterates a ton, just like a lean startup. The difference is that they do it internally. The iPod went through circa 100 prototypes. That compares with 4-7 for the typical consumer electronics company. If you are as well-capitalized as Apple, by all means iterate in private. Most of us aren't so lucky, though.
- dkrich 15y agoYeah, and I'm not denying that. My point is that if a product is released just to see whether it gains traction without ideal execution, then how can you know whether it was the faulty execution that led to failure? Maybe if the user were more intrigued from the beginning with better execution, better traction could be achieved.
- wpietri 15y agoSuppose you release a product with execution you believe perfect and it flops. The problem could be the idea, but it still could be your execution. Whether you're Apple or a nobody, you still have to keep iterating until it's right. The way you tell what to try next is by studying how the last one went. You just eventually decide to work on a different idea. You can never truly know whether a repeated flop is due to your idea or your execution.