Layers
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Seth Godin: "We live in a layered world now. Those that plan and plan and then launch are always going to be at a disadvantage to the layerers."
So true, and "now" doesn't just mean "of late." Web professionals have long promoted the fluidity of their work. It's the beauty of the thing: one can always redo, change, expand, improve. Some lament the constant beta status of startups, but the evolutionary ability allows them to succeed.
Within this context, of course, one has to look out for the "good enough" trap. Is the project really good enough to launch? If so, put it out to the world. If not, don't rush into it for the sake of existing. Make it good, not good enough. Then stick it out there, even if it's missing the 38 features that are supposed to be in the final release phase.
Layering and iterating allows the potential audience to help define it. This is not just important; it can be career-altering. Flickr was a game until the image-posting app became too powerful to ignore. Hummers were military vehicles until Arnold Schwarzenegger asked AM General to make him a civilian model. Layering on multiple models, features, and ideas led these companies to successes far more vast and different than originally proposed.
So get that launch out the door and see what happens. Add layers as time allows and as market needs demand. And be willing to change course. It's not just the layers--it's the minds behind it that help dictate the success.
So true, and "now" doesn't just mean "of late." Web professionals have long promoted the fluidity of their work. It's the beauty of the thing: one can always redo, change, expand, improve. Some lament the constant beta status of startups, but the evolutionary ability allows them to succeed.
Within this context, of course, one has to look out for the "good enough" trap. Is the project really good enough to launch? If so, put it out to the world. If not, don't rush into it for the sake of existing. Make it good, not good enough. Then stick it out there, even if it's missing the 38 features that are supposed to be in the final release phase.
Layering and iterating allows the potential audience to help define it. This is not just important; it can be career-altering. Flickr was a game until the image-posting app became too powerful to ignore. Hummers were military vehicles until Arnold Schwarzenegger asked AM General to make him a civilian model. Layering on multiple models, features, and ideas led these companies to successes far more vast and different than originally proposed.
So get that launch out the door and see what happens. Add layers as time allows and as market needs demand. And be willing to change course. It's not just the layers--it's the minds behind it that help dictate the success.
