Do More Faster: Idea and Vision
Future Weed is a design research project but the three of us are also greatly interested in the business side of our ideas. I have been reading a book about startups called Do More Faster by David Cohen and Brad Feld to guide us in our independent study. This is the summary of the first theme: Idea and Vision. Some of the chapters are summarized with direct quotes; others with my own words.
Introduction
Startups are about testing theories and quickly pivoting based on feedback and data
Trust Me, Your Idea Is Worthless by Tim Ferriss
One can steal ideas, but no one can steal execution or passion. Focus where most people balk and delay: exposing your product to the real world.
Start With Your Passion by Kevin Mann
If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, it won’t mean enough to you to succeed. Startup founders choose an insanely difficult path, so passion is a prerequisite.
Look For The Pain by Isaac Saldana
If you pay close attention, you can discover very specific problems that thousands of other people are also experiencing.
Get Feedback Early by Nate Abbott and Natty Zola
You don’t know what you don’t know so share your ideas early and often with as many smart people as you can find. Getting feedback and new ideas is the lifeblood of any startup.
Usage Is Like Oxygen For Ideas by Matt Mullenweg
You can never fully anticipate how an audience is going to react to something you’ve created until it’s out there. By shipping early and often you have the unique competitive advantage of getting useful feedback on your product. In the best case, this helps you anticipate market direction, and in the worst case, it gives you a few people rooting for you that you can e-mail when your team pivots to a new idea. If you’re not embarrassed when you ship your first version, you waited too long.
Forget the Kitchen Sink by David Cohen
People use a new service because it does one thing really, really well and not because it has more features than the competition. Focusing on a small niche has so many advantages: With much less work, you can be the best at what you do. Small things almost always turn to be much bigger than you think, and you can pivot or scale up much more easily. If you’re early in the life of your startup, do yourself a favor and figure out what one thing you’re going to be the best in the world at doing.
Find That One Thing They Love by Darren Crystal
Step back and pay attention to how people are actually using your product. Then, obsess over making it easier for them to use it that way. [Note: You are likely to hit a local maximum if you blindly follow this idea.]
Don’t Plan. Prototype! by Greg Reinacker
Quickly release (functional) prototypes so that you build up an invaluable pool of early adopters. They will help you define your product, generate free publicity and keep you motivated. Prototype, release and iterate aggressively.
You Never Need Another Original Idea by Niel Roberston
Too man startups build things that they think their customers want. If you’re looking for creative ideas that can make your company better, simply spend time with your customers. Its not rocket science, but I’m always surprised by how few companies are really good at doing this.
Get It Out There by Sean Corbett
Build the smallest possible product that allows you to test assumptions and answer questions about your business, and then get it out there. Make a conscious effort to not build more features than people want or need.
Avoid Tunnel Vision by Bijan Sabet
Have perspective that things rarely go as planned. You can realize your original vision, but it might not be on the path that you had planned.
Focus by Jared Polis
Focus on a good idea and implement it well. That’s it.
Iterate Again by Colin Angle
A company that is well-positioned to endure the hardships encountered during the early phases of its existence gives itself time to find success. Pivoting only makes your position stronger since you bring additional knowledge about your market, about running a business and about forging successful partnerships.
Fail Fast by Alex White
Your team is much more important than your idea. Be ruthless and reposition your business model if something isn’t working. Whatever you do, you need to at least have an economically viable business.
Pull the Plug When You Know It’s Time by Paul Berbarian
Be careful that you’re not building a business for your ego or any reason other than the market. If you’re not sure of your identity, you will probably build in the wrong direction. Realize your mistakes as early as possible and make a change.
