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I think the problem is there even if you're focusing on the One Thing. Look at Github. They have issues, wiki, gist, pull requests, search, repo browser, keyboa

I think the problem is there even if you're focusing on the One Thing. Look at Github. They have issues, wiki, gist, pull requests, search, repo browser, keyboard shortcuts, private repos and so much more. That's still within the One Thing. And of course, Github built those things over time. But the question that still remains, especially on the early days, with limited resources: What new feature should we add next to this one thing? from a list of dozens of features that customers are screaming for... Shall we add a native app? or should we add Facebook integration? Should we add some gamification elements or redo the homepage to increase conversions? and the list goes on.

pan69 12y ago
Is GitHib still a startup? I guess the article tries to emphasize to people "starting" something to focus on one thing and not to solve all the worlds problems in v1.
- thissideup 12y ago
  I don't think they fit into the startup category any longer. They took a $100 million round of financing and have 200+ employees. They do seem to have kept their heads on straight through it all.
jsankey 12y ago
You're right that you'll (practically) always have more than one feature in a product, so counting features doesn't really make sense. You should approach it from the other end: identify a segment of the market, a narrow set of customers, and aim to build a product that is clearly the best option available for them. Judge every feature through this lens, and don't stray outside the focus until you've won that niche (if ever). Easier said than done, of course...
kareemm 12y ago
Github's One Thing is source code hosting. Everything else either supports that (e.g. pull requests) or is complimentary (e.g. issues).
- rpedela 12y ago
  Sorta. There were plenty of websites for source code hosting before Github, but they all sucked because you couldn't collaborate or at least not easily. Github focusing on easy-to-use collaboration tools (pull requests and issues) is what set them apart.

pan69 12y ago

Is GitHib still a startup? I guess the article tries to emphasize to people "starting" something to focus on one thing and not to solve all the worlds problems in v1.

thissideup 12y ago
I don't think they fit into the startup category any longer. They took a $100 million round of financing and have 200+ employees. They do seem to have kept their heads on straight through it all.

jsankey 12y ago

You're right that you'll (practically) always have more than one feature in a product, so counting features doesn't really make sense. You should approach it from the other end: identify a segment of the market, a narrow set of customers, and aim to build a product that is clearly the best option available for them. Judge every feature through this lens, and don't stray outside the focus until you've won that niche (if ever). Easier said than done, of course...

kareemm 12y ago

Github's One Thing is source code hosting. Everything else either supports that (e.g. pull requests) or is complimentary (e.g. issues).

rpedela 12y ago
Sorta. There were plenty of websites for source code hosting before Github, but they all sucked because you couldn't collaborate or at least not easily. Github focusing on easy-to-use collaboration tools (pull requests and issues) is what set them apart.