In the creative industry, ideas are encouraged. We are told, “there are no bad ideas.” Ideas are the foundation of our work. Yet sometimes, our ideas are the reason our projects fail.
When we first begin a project, we want to build the product of our dreams. We are so excited about the potential, about all the problems we could solve and features we could include. We set out to build a monster and we either overcommit, taking on more than we can handle, or we become too daunted to begin in the first place.
Start simple. Launch simple. This is how our original idea becomes a tangible product. It’s all the other ideas that get in the way. The “what if we did this” or “it would really be better if we added this” ideas that over-complicate the project and keep it from launching. Starting simple keeps the project moving forward. You start at one place, build iteratively and eventually, all those other ideas come together as well.
I am currently working on a new product. The potential is so great, we are constantly inspired with new ideas and tempted to make it bigger and bigger. We have to make the decision – again and again, every day – to keep it simple. We table ideas all the time or reject them entirely.
While it may seem like this limits the project, it expands it. Every time you ship something new or improve your product, it's a new chance to promote it. Starting simple translates to a confident, solid launch that only gets better and better.
