So, we use prototypes to conduct rapid experiments in product discovery, and then in delivery, we build and release products in hopes of achieving product/market fit, which is a key step on the way to delivering on the company's product vision.

Startups that survive the first few tough years do not follow the traditional product-centric launch model espoused by product managers or the venture capital community. Through trial and error, hiring and firing, successful startups all invent a parallel process to Product Development.

Our product simply is what we set out to build. However, the road from an idea to a market-ready product is rarely a straight line. After we have an idea of what we want to create—a better email app, a faster database or a yummier chocolate cake—we go through a process of building prototypes, or ugly first versions, that we put in front of

running a series of very quick experiments,

1. The Idea Garden
   
   Don’t settle prematurely. Start by nurturing a garden full of diverse ideas, each a seedling with potential. Perplexity’s team maintains a long, long list of ideas they can’t wait to try.


2. → Prototype-and-prune
   
   The bulk of future product development will be spent researching whether