How To Succeed: Launch Products Fast, Fail, and Repeat
Many people have a problem with postponing or fear of launching their projects. You probably worry about whether or not the project is perfect or are afraid that you might be criticized.
I felt the same way until I realized that the worst thing is not someone who will criticize you. Worse is if no one notices you, and this is the most common situation. If you do not think over product marketing, then most likely you will develop a product for a long time, launch, and nobody will know.
Therefore, I decided to share on how to launch projects quickly.
Make the goal specific
First, use the SMART framework to define your goal. Determine what you want to get, the minimum functionality your product should have, and deadlines. This works not only with complicated IT products, but you can also set the same deadlines for creating your paper notebook or launching a podcast. In any case, determine realistic deadlines, but do not tighten them too much. If you extend the launch of the podcast for six months, you may drop the idea along the way. Set realistic deadlines, but make them a bit challenging. Hence, you will not have long pauses between tasks, and you will work on the project regularly.
Define subgoals and task list
This is an important point. You need to understand and break the objective into subgoals, and set deadlines for them. Try to describe as much as possible all the tasks that you have, based on your current understanding. If this is a new area for you, you will adjust this list many times. Try to prioritize and highlight the most essential tasks.
If you are going to launch a podcast in an interview format, you will probably understand the technical aspects of the podcast quickly enough. However, you need to learn many new things: how to interview people, how to negotiate with guests, how to develop the idea, and how to equip the recording room. It’s obvious that if you want to start a podcast in a month, you need to have a recorded interview in 2–3 weeks (to edit it or find a freelancer for editing, to set up a podcast hosting, etc.). It also means that you need to create an email script to guests now, start collecting their emails, and discussing the schedule for recording.
Talk with the very experienced people in your field
Another important tip that will help you save a lot of time is to find those who are successful in your field. Make a list of emails and questions that interest you. Most people are open and ready to chat, or at least answer your short questions. Use personalized emails, analyze their interests and mention them. It takes more time than spamming the same template, but the result will be much better. Their advice will save you a lot of time because they have already done that. They will advise you on shortcuts in this area — where you have to pay more attention and what you should not worry about.
Explore your target audience
Define your target audience and carry customer development interviews. Read the useful book The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick, which will help you to ask people naturally and not get the wrong answers from users. During the interviews, you will discover if people have such a problem and it is really important. Plus, you will get insights regarding further product development.
Overcome your fear
After the minimum viable product (MVP) is ready, you should work with your fears and think about why you are scared to launch the product. It is necessary to understand that many companies pivot the product several times, and your product will change a lot in the process. Perhaps you imagine the first launch as the most important and that you will not be able to change something later, but that is untrue. Think about what happens if your product fails. Will life change much, even if your product fails?
Additionally, we have protective mechanisms against stress in the brain. In any case, even the biggest failure that you imagine will be easier when it happens. It is because the brain will use protection mechanisms. Use that knowledge to act against fear.
Launch with an MVP
If you have the minimum functionality, it’s time to start. Make your product public; try to attract the first customers by yourself or via organic traffic. Learn the promotion methods from top professionals in your field (just read the articles about promoting podcasts/paper notebooks, generally anything), and apply 5–10 of the most recommended things. This will help get the first users, even if you do not understand in marketing at all.
Communicate with users and understand their needs
Most likely, you will quickly realize that you need to continue improving the product. How to do this? Understanding the needs of your customers, why they use your solution, and talking with them. You can make a roadmap by listening to their use cases, problems, and comments.
Improve the product or move on
All that remains is to repeat the process: listen to users, improve the product, and move on. At the same time, you might realize that this is not the area that interests you or the problem is not so critical and people are not ready to pay for it. Or you learned a new technology stack, and this was your main objective. In any case, there can be many reasons to leave the product and move on. That is not a big deal; most products in this world are shutting down.
Do not be afraid, look for new ideas, launch quickly, test hypotheses, close, and move on. With this approach, you have a great chance for success.
