Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Seattle 2.0, and imported to GeekWire as part of our acquisition of Seattle 2.0 and its archival content. For more background, see this post.
By Aaron Franklin
Even if you know the problem you’re solving, it’s possible that you don’t know exactly what you’re building. While common advice says to build your product and get to market, this advice glazes over a key step: getting out of your head. As you think through the detailed solution that your market demands, it’s discouraging to look at startups that have found their mojo. Their founders talk about their vision as if it takes no thought at all; their product and marketing are remarkably focused and harmonious.
For most startups, finding this harmony is a tremendous amount of work. Fortunately, there’s a recognizable moment when your vision and product click. Suddenly your whole startup falls into place. The vision leaves your head, and the product becomes its voice. With each deploy, you immediately know what to build next. Your marketing goes from wordy and disjointed to short and sweet. Users respond positively, some fanatically. It’s a beautiful moment, especially if it takes you months to get there.
At LazyMeter, getting from “we’re building a task manager that doesn’t suck” to “the cure for your overwhelming to-do list” didn’t happen overnight. It may seem like a small leap, but it’s brought laser-sharp focus to our product development. We’re still at the beginning and we definitely have our work cut out for us. But fortunately, when it clicks, the product takes on a life of its own, and the whole team knows exactly where it’s going. It’s as if you’ve been lost at sea, and finally spot land in the distance.
Aaron Franklin is co-founder of LazyMeter, the solution to your overwhelming to-do list. LazyMeter was recently shared in public for the first time at the Seattle 2.0 Awards.
