Product Habits - Should you build a startup right now?

Lessons From 17,462 Companies About Winning in This Environment

If we could sum 2020 up in one word so far, it would be this: uncertainty. I'm joining ProfitWell Co-founder and CEO Patrick Campbell, along with Drift's VP of Marketing Kate Adams, for a live discussion about the state of SaaS in this current environment. We'll share our thoughts on how early data from 17,000 companies tells us where SaaS customer behavior is shifting. . 

Six Mental Models You Can Learn From Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke

This Tweetstorm by George Mack was one of my favorites from the past week. He listened to a bunch of Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke's interviews and compiled a list of six mental models he learned from them. Here are a few I found fascinating:

• Tobi keeps a log of decisions with one paragraph to explain what information he used to make each one. He reviews it every six months, focusing on the mental routines he uses to make decisions (systems mindset) rather than the decisions themselves (outcome mindset). 
• He asks for raw feedback without the "shit sandwich" around it. In his words, "Feedback is a gift...it's not meant to hurt. It's meant to move things forward, to demystify something for you. I want frank feedback from everyone."

The Opportunity and Risks for Consumer Startups in a Social Distancing World

General Partner at Benchmark Capital Sarah Tavel describes the new landscape of opportunities and risks for consumer startups. Using what she called a "Rocks, Sand, and Water" framework, Sarah describes how entrepreneurs can think about capturing consumer attention—and why it's important to take advantage of this window during the pandemic to build momentum and scale. If you're thinking about building a consumer startup, read this first.

Building Better Products Using Intentional Experiments

I recently joined Sean Boyce and Stuart Balcombe for a conversation on their podcast, Customer Conversations. We talked about the framework I use for identifying product ideas worth pursuing, as well as how to identify what your customers really want. I also share something I haven't before, which is what Drift CEO David Cancel taught me about different go-to-market strategies. . 
 

The First Creations of 10 Famous Creators—and What You Can Learn From Them

I've heard so many people—from creatives to entrepreneurs—talk about the things they want to do. Few actually pursue those ideas, and even fewer do it consistently. It's easy to look at some of the most prolific and talented content creators in the game today and compare your ideas to their fully formed brands. But, no one starts out with a polished Instagram feed, perfect company, or booming YouTube channel. Here's a look at what 10 well-known creators first published. May this serve as encouragement to get started on your ideas today, and commit to the long-term journey of gradual improvement over time. 

How to Launch a Successful Product for New Audiences

It's not easy for established companies to grow by entering new markets. But, it's definitely a worthwhile strategy to consider in this new climate we all find ourselves in. The two most typical growth paths are: geographical expansion and movement up and down the market. If this is a strategy you're thinking about employing, .

50 Ideas That Shape My Worldview

I can't even imagine how long it took David Perell to put this list together, but I'm glad he did. It's one of the most thoughtful and comprehensive Tweetstorms I've seen in a while. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this list of the 50 ideas that shape David's worldview. Here are a few I share with him: the wisdom of paradox (14), creativity begins at the edge (36), and competition is for losers (8). 

Level-Up Your Reality With Basecamp's Co-Founder

David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) has accomplished a lot in his career so far. He created Ruby on Rails, co-founded Basecamp, and has written several bestselling books. Him and his co-founder Jason Fried are leading thinkers when it comes to remote work, so I think you'll get a lot out of this interview. David talks about everything from the trap of long work weeks (his team originally built Basecamp on 10 hours per week), to his ambivalence about social media. .