Things I'm Thinking About

I believe “what effect do you want to have on people” is one of the most important questions we should ask when we are making something. Life isn't just a series of problems to be solved but experiences to be had.

I understand the argument for shipping early and often. But I also believe that we should aspire to build lovable products, not viable products. And lovable products take time to build and polish.

Part of the problem with the Lean Startup mindset is that it sees life and work as an optimization problem. The point is to help people live a good life, not just an efficient life. The goal is human flourishing, not convenience. The goal is a good future, not just a technically advanced future.

When I hear people say things like “our goal is to be at 5mm ARR by 2024” I always get a little sad and uncomfortable. I don’t have quantifiable goals like that. And if I do, any number I choose feels arbitrary. My goals are usually more qualitative - to create simple, delightful products that are meaningful for the people they serve, to create dig