Theory: Every small business should start with a prototype.
If you are going to start a business, the best way to get it off the ground is to build a basic prototype first. Cut everything extra out, get down to the bare minimum, build your initial products, then try to sell them. Most people that I have dealt with get this wrong. They focus first on non-critical issues like furniture, equity arrangements, financial projections, branding, fonts/colors, etc.
OK OK – I know you are saying, well we have to figure out who gets what before starting, or it could be chaos. I say bullshit to that. Spend that time first on the product and on the sales pitch. Talk to potential customers. See if you do have a viable business that could actually work. If you can get some initial (paying) clients you’ll have powerful information about your future business that can be used to help figure all the other stuff out.
Amen brotha…I’m practicing a little minimum viable product as we speak, back to coding
Minimum viable product + Customer development process is the way to go.
Before you start coding anything test your hypothesis with your target market.
How much do they need your product? Would they pay for it? Would they use it for free? Are they willing to sign a buy order? How many people are interested in testing out your product before you even build it?
Truth is that business plans are based on hypothesis. So you can write all you want, but you better test your hypothesis if you want to succeed.
(Most of that comes from Steve Blank’s book)
“Multitasking lowers your IQ” <- thats some good stuff!!