What’s more important… following the “Four Steps” or experiencing the genuine epiphany?
It’s the epiphany, right? Right!
I bring this up because I continue to run across product development teams that are so enamored with following a sound lean startup process that they have lost sight of the ultimate objective: building something magical.
Where’s the magic? The magic happens at the nexus between what’s possible, what you’re capable of, and what the client is willing to pay for:
When you get so consumed by following the right process that you lose sight of the real goal — finding the magic in the middle — you can make yourself look like a bad dog…
Don’t purse the wet dream trying to build something that you’re incapable of delivering. It’s a fantasy that will ultimately leave you feeling alone and ashamed.
Don’t make your clients yawn, only building what they ask for but missing what they’d really love once they experience it.
Don’t build for the slow clap, a product that only you are excited by.
Your real objective is always to find the epiphany that reveals the magic in the middle…
DO build something magical. You know, like puppies. Puppies bring delight. Plus they’re capable of growing through their own lifecycle stages and one day… giving birth to something new and magical themselves.
So the next time you’re in the heat of a product development process, don’t be a bad dog. Keep your eyes on the prize and find the magic in the middle.