“Don’t ship it!” A checklist.

Are you the type of person who launches side projects for the thrill of it?

I am too.

But, that can get you into trouble if you’re trying to build a business. I created a quick list to check yourself before your reck yourself. Don’t ship it!

• Does my product or project ride the wave of a recent tech trend?
• If so, do I have something meaningful to offer?
• Does the world need my contribution, or am I just self-expressing?
• Is this for the long-run or short-term success?
• Do I care about my end user or am I just trying to get fame or cash?
• Who is my end user? Do they need something like this? Can they afford it?
• Did I tell my friends about this project? Or just industry professionals?
• Am I embarrassed to tell my friends? Or a stranger?
• Will I admire this work 3o years from now?
• Would Dieter Rams? Would Steve Jobs? Henry Ford?

Startup culture says “just try it.” Even still, we need to be thoughtful and consider the time and money investment in random ideas that don’t pan out.

There’s no virtue in shipping. The value of launching something is in the thing launched, not the fact that you said “Go!”

Interested in hearing your answers to the questions, comment below!