Do Things that Don't Scale

Over-engaging with early users is not just a permissible technique for getting growth rolling. For most successful startups it's a necessary part of the feedback loop that makes the product good.Sometimes the right unscalable trick is to focus on a deliberately narrow market. It's like keeping a fire contained at first to get it really hot before a... See more

So but how do we build software that can be anything without falling into the Zombocom trap? I believe that Bezos interview shows us exactly how.

1. You start from a systems-level insight ( the internet is growing rapidly )


2. Then work backwards to a first best customer who has a burning need ( can’t find book ) that is related to your superpower ( intern

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As Paul Graham said in his essay “Do Things That Don’t Scale”: A lot of would-be founders believe that startups either take off or don’t. You build something, make it available, and if you’ve made a better mousetrap, people beat a path to your door as promised. Or they don’t, in which case the market must not exist. Actually startups take off becau... See more

It takes enormous discipline to NOT try to scale something that's working. But some things just don't scale -- and trying to do so can destroy the golden goose in the process. Many entrepreneurially minded people can't help themselves from trying.