4 ms·
I think the analogy to startups is this: You can plan 100 features, implement 100 features, launch 100 features, get feedback on 100 features OR You can plan
by jleader 15y ago
I think the analogy to startups is this:
You can plan 100 features, implement 100 features, launch 100 features, get feedback on 100 features
OR
You can plan, implement, and launch 1 feature, get feedback on it, then move on to the next feature, and repeat 100 times.
Obviously, the feedback in the 2nd case is much more immediately useful; the point of the post was that even in a relatively simple case where you wouldn't expect nearly as much value from the feedback (stuffing envelopes), the small-batch approach still wins.
- wccrawford 15y agoAgain, I think that's too strained. In stuffing the envelopes, you can learn everything you need to know about the next 99 iterations from the first one. In implementing features, the lessons will be different almost every time. Timescale is also completely different. You can do 1 envelope at a time because there's no waiting involved. It takes time to evaluate the result of implementing a feature. Not because it's so much work, but because you don't control the factor that really matters: The customer.
- pilom 15y agoYou have obviously never stuffed 100 envelopes if you think you learn everything you need to learn from the first one. If you attempt to be mildly efficient about it your process has continuous improvement. "If I spin this pile 90 degrees I can start the folding easier." There are things you don't realize until you've done 5 envelopes, done 10 envelopes and done 100 envelopes.
- wccrawford 15y agoI said 'can learn', not 'will learn'. You -can- learn all those things from the first one. My point is that the lessons are different for each function, but the same for each envelope.