True, but Unhelpful Advice: “Real artists ship”, Or “Five days tweaking that kick drum”

True, but Unhelpful Advice: “Real artists ship”, Or “Five days tweaking that kick drum”

Saturday, August 07, 2021

What is stopping us from shipping? Is it time? Is it anxiety?

"No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrifice and toil and doubt."

Jack Conte provides his framework for reframing his thinking to ship more.

tagged: shipping, strategy

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Learn Faster by Listening

Learn Faster by Listening

Sunday, February 14, 2021

"Failures are great learning tools -- but they must be kept to a minimum."
-Jeffrey Immelt

An 11-year revisit of a 10-year reflection of a company's strategy.

How to learn faster by letting go of some of software development's sacred cows.

tagged: startups, failure, learning, history, stories, strategy

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Startup Hiring: For Now and Later

Startup Hiring: For Now and Later

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Balance the urgent need with the potential future of candidates.

Balance the urgent need with the potential future of candidates.

tagged: startups, hiring

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Case In Point: Tablet devices (Launch Problem)

Case In Point: Tablet devices (Launch Problem)

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Why did tablet devices never catch on? What do you need to do with your startup or product for it to catch on?

In a New York Times reader response, Conrad Blickenstorfer is batting 0.100 with his diagnosis of 5 problems. I offer an alternative view of the 2 key problems: with suggestions for launching new products.

tagged: tabletpc, microsoft, reviews, reaction, iphone, newyorktimes

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Startup Tip: Take Idea #2

Startup Tip: Take Idea #2

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Don't fall in love with your first draft idea. Be prepared to refine it and try new ideas.

The romanticized idea of the genius idea that is implemented and becomes a soaring startup success is overstated. For many successful startups, it was their follow-up ideas that really caught on.

tagged: startups, google, products, microsoft, teams, planning, fogcreek, paypal

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Technology is not what makes or breaks startups.

Technology is not what makes or breaks startups.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

It's not a matter of divining the best technology as a guaranteed method for which technologies will take off or which startups will suceed.

Some of the biggest factors in success in the world of technology have nothing to do with the technology.

tagged: ideas, invention, quotes, constraints, creativity, selling, timing, technology

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Shai Agassi and Better Place Electric Cars

Shai Agassi and Better Place Electric Cars

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

If you have an incumbent with a lot of stakeholders and investment in the status quo, you probably need a startup to shake things up.

For electric cars, I think that's just what the doctor ordered.

When it comes to electric cars, the Better Place car jumps to the top of my mind.

tagged: innovation, wired, creativity, cars, electric, green

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3 kinds of partners, which are you looking for?

3 kinds of partners, which are you looking for?

Monday, March 16, 2009

Business partners can make or break a startup. What are you looking for? What might be some things to think about when do go looking?

The right business partner can be a huge asset to a startup founder. They can complement skills, unique specific access, or provide vision and stability.

tagged: startups, entrepreneuring, decisions, businesspartners, paulgraham

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QH: Twitter: Enable Communities, that's cash-worthy

QH: Twitter: Enable Communities, that's cash-worthy

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

I'm not going to speculate on Twitter's plans for making money or how they could do it. Except for one idea that struck me today.

If someone follows a company or a brand Twitter, they like that product. There is some value is knowing that - and Twitter can make use of the value that they are enabling.

tagged: businesses, businessmodels, coffee, twitter, yyc

series: Quick Hits (38 other posts in this series)

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Obscure Links #1: design, internet, economics...

Obscure Links #1: design, internet, economics...

Friday, February 20, 2009

Wherein I establish the series of "Obscure Links" and its purpose and share the first 10 quality links that most people have never seen.

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