Totally agree!

Only thing I would add is that there are a diverse range of variables that go into making a 10x product, but only about half of them are quantifiable in any given situation. What a 10x product even looks like is also not something statistically quantifiable, because what I see as a 10x product you may see as 6x product, and for completely disparate reasons.

Put another way, standout products have a Gestalt quality to them that is more than the sum of their measurable parts. The unknown variable is always the qualitative experience, and I think this is something that becomes extremely difficult to reconcile for business-minded entrepreneurs who aren’t balanced by team members (or mentors) with design-minded/creative-minded perspectives.

For example, consider Medium itself: There’s plenty of logical explanations for why this platform is such a great product, and rational reasons can be given across the board for why its so popular; But there’s also a qualitative experience that sets it apart from other blogging platforms.

All those little unmeasurable traits can often add up to the difference between a meh product and a wow! product.