My metaphor for a team working really hard on something they’re passionate about is that it’s through the team, through that group of incredibly talented people bumping up against each other, having arguments, having fights sometimes, making some noise, and working together they polish each other, and they polish the ideas. And what comes out are these really beautiful stones, you know? – Steve Jobs
Beautiful polished rocks
There was a moment of the so-called 'Lost Interview' which particularly resonated with me: Steve Jobs was asked by the interviewer to share his priorities in the development of a product. Steve remained silent for a few minutes. Then, he started telling him about a disease: the disease of thinking that a really great idea is 90% of the work.
In short, it is quite the opposite. There is a tremendous amount of craftsmanship between a great idea and a great product; it never comes out as it starts, as he explained.
However, what truly stayed with me was the anecdote he told to illustrate this belief.
You see, when he was a young kid, Steve knew a widowed man who lived down the street. One day, the old man showed him a dusty old rock tumbler, got some rocks, put them into the rock tumbler, turned it on, and said: "Come back tomorrow."
The next day, the man opened the can and inside were these "amazingly beautiful polished rocks. The same common stones that had gone in through rubbing against each other like this (clapping his hands), creating a little bit of friction, creating a little bit of noise, had come out these beautiful polished rocks."
Does it ring a bell? I bet that if you have worked in Product, this sounds familiar. I would even go one step further and say that those beautiful polished rocks can always get even prettier. It is an everlasting process.
Yet, as humans, we struggle with the concept of continuity.
If you think about the way we are instructed, you will realize it is inevitable. Since we were born, we were taught that everything must have a beginning and an end. As a result, we jump from one task to another. We are always seeking a definitive, immutable, perfect idea before launching a product. The notion of an unfinished product is tortuous.
So how do you get around this perception? By using iterative development. That is the way to get those beautiful polished rocks.
Nice try. Maybe next time
OK, so we have already established that there is virtually no ending point when it comes to product development.
Now, what the heck is iterative development?
If you google it, you will find out that it is nothing more than 'a software development approach that breaks the process of developing a large application into smaller parts'. But there is more to that. So much more.
Iterative development means getting your hands dirty. It means launching something new to the world, often far from perfect, and letting people interact with it; then, collecting all the relevant information from the interactions with the product and getting back to the 'lab' once again.
It may sound great, but trust me: You will not like seeing your brilliant idea getting shredded in front of you, time after time. However, as traumatizing as it may be, these backlashes are doing you a favour. A big one.
Let's put it this way: What would you prefer? Working hours and hours on an idea, just to realize that it has no use at all or that you missed something critical?
Or come up with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and improve it little by little, profiting from real users' feedback?
Move fast, break things, as Zuckerberg said.
Of course, none of this is ground-breaking. This framework has been around for a while. There are tons of articles and books on this topic. One could even argue that 'The Lean Startup' is nothing more than a wrap-up of these concepts. Which is why you are probably wondering: what is your point then, Juanpa?
We are getting there, no worries.
The Times They Are a-Changin'
As incredible as it sounds, iterations take time, especially if you depend on someone else to develop your code.
And what if you cannot code in the first place?
Can you afford to pay for several attempts at your project?
Maybe iterative development is only for well-off people, right?
Well, not anymore.
The good thing about tech is that not only does it get cheaper, but it also becomes more accessible.
Using a computer nowadays is nothing like before. Even a child can use a tablet or a smartphone. And this applies to creators too: new trends, such as No-code tools, enable more and more creators to test their content at almost no cost.
In fact, the reason why you are reading this in the first place is thanks to No-code (yes, this website is built on a Webflow's template).
You can set up a website in just a few hours, click two buttons and boom. You are online. Easier than ever.
Therefore, the most important thing you can count on when building a product is your mindset. There are no excuses.
Launch. Gather data. Improve. Repeat.
Do not wait until you have everything figured out.
Move. The sky is yours.