Summary
Rinse and Repeat
Embrace the routine
Set up clear frameworks and processes so you don't need to re-invent the wheel whenever you need to evaluate your product's purpose, assess your strategic focus areas or think what to build next. Do all of these activities on a regular basis, build a routine and a habit out of them. Here's one of my favorite quotes on the importance of routines, which I heard during a discussion with a customer at their site while building a product to help operate and manage mid-sized container ship terminals:
"Because of the economic downturn we now only get 2-3 ships to unload and load per week. The amount of work has reduced, but we are actually slower in our processes now, than what we were when we got a ship in the port every day. Now every time a ship arrives we have to remind ourselves on what needs to be done and how, because we lack the discipline of the routine."- Operating Manager for a Manually Operated Container Ship Terminal
In everything you do, you get better by doing and iterating as you go. Focus as much of your thinking and brain power into your product building efforts and learning how your product performs and succeeds with routines and processes that can be honed and improved.
Now, go and build a great product. Wishing it a great success!
- Why - Find your product's purpose. As the market and your customers' behaviors evolve, re-evaluate the relevance of your product.
- How - Define a strategy on how to deliver a meaningful product. Keep your focus in constantly creating value other products don't, with a team equipped to deliver that value as fast as possible.
- What - Understand your users needs and focus your solutions on outcomes. Keep on a constant dialogue with your users.