Startups are always preaching to one another about working hard and moving quickly. After all, that’s our single largest advantage over big companies! Earlier this year, it felt like we were doing just that: working really freaking hard. However, after several months of this so-called hard work, we realized that we still weren’t moving fast enough.
We were trying to solve too many problems at once, and not solving any of those problems in world-class fashion. It was taking too much time to build something we could put in front of users and get feedback. So we put our pens down and made a frank assessment of where we were as a team.
It was gut-wrenchingly painful to admit that a lot of our work to date needed to be put aside. But things needed to change.
Discovering the art of rapid prototyping
In February, the now infamous Startup Podcast introduced us to the Google Ventures Design Sprint. It looked like just the tool we needed to focus our efforts, and unlike so much of the Lean Startup and other startup “how to” content out there that is heavy on advice but light on implementation, it gave us a concrete set of guidelines to follow. We dove in and embraced the idea.
This concept taught us that you must get your idea in front of users in tangible form as early as possible. Humans are innately capable of absorbing much more information visually than orally — about 60,000 times more information — so give users something to react to. Everything else is a waste of time.
With the awesome tools outlined by the fine folks at Google Ventures, we could create a prototype in a single day. (Okay, the entire process takes five days, but building only takes one!)
Rather than building with our heads down, we implemented the design sprint almost exactly as prescribed. We unpacked our ideas, sketched out solutions, prototyped, and tested solutions all in five days. We actually iterated on the design sprint several times, but we ultimately spent just four weeks doing what previously took months!
Coming out on the other side
We came out of the design sprints with a solid understanding of the core problem we needed to solve, and a clear plan to execute on it. The process showed us what it really means to focus and move fast. It helped us understand what an MVP really is: a product that solves a single problem extraordinarily well. In everything we do, this is at the forefront of our minds and we’re executing much faster than ever before. We now show initial designs to potential customers every step of the way. It keeps us firmly grounded in the user’s point of view.
Hitting the brakes was by far the most painful thing we have had to do as a company so far, but it was also by far the most important decision we have made to date. Slowing down allowed us to ultimately go much faster. If there were two lessons we could pass along it would be these:
- If it feels like you’re heading in the wrong direction or moving too slowly, you’re probably right. Take a step back and assess the situation with fresh eyes instead of just trying to do the wrong things more quickly.
- Get outside help in some fashion! Someone else has probably faced the same issue before. The answers are out there if you look for them, and finding good guidance can save you a lot of wasted effort.
What’s next?
As promised, we’ll release a new post every week and give you look inside Gathering. Next week, we’ll explore a big hurdle in our world of financial services: compliance and regulation. To get each post e-mailed to you as soon as it’s published, head to Gathering and sign up.
Have more ideas about focusing and moving quickly? Hit me up on Twitter or leave a comment below.
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About the author
Mizel is a Co-Founder and the Head of Community at Gathering.
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