2 builders who never spoke to each other

Aim the first release at people who forgive it

Early adopters will live with bugs and an ugly interface in exchange for a direct line to the founder and seeing their suggestions shipped, and they will tell you whether the direction is right. Jason Cohen ran on ten to twenty of them before the product was solid enough to interest larger companies. He also warns that a quiet user who downloads, gives up and disappears teaches you nothing.

The method

1. 01

   Aim your first launch at early adopters, who will live with plenty of bugs in exchange for a personal line to the founder and seeing their suggestions shipped.

2. 02

   You need talkative customers rather than quiet ones at this stage: someone who downloads, gives up and disappears teaches you nothing.

3. 03

   Show the version you are embarrassed by. Early adopters will not punish an ugly interface if the problem is real, they will tell you whether the vision is right.

What it returned

• Smart Bear had somewhere between ten and twenty such customers before the product was solid enough for larger companies to take an interest.

• The first Viewst build took three months and the founder found it physically uncomfortable to put in front of investors or early users, and did it anyway.

Sources

• You’re a little company, now act like oneJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · You’re a little company, now act like one · 2009-08-31
• Building a No-Code Ad Production & Design Tool to $50kVictoria Duben · failory.com · How did you go from idea to product? · undated