10 Rules For Web Startups

Came across this post today, and I couldn't agree more.

Can't Live Without It

I've been using the Alpha version of GT Zen for about a month now, but for the last 5 days I've been unable to use it... and I'm really excited!

You may be wonderi why a software developer would be excited that he can't use his own product.

Is it because the software is horrible?

No.

Is it because the software is so buggy that he just can't stand to work with it anymore?

Nope.

Is it because the software has done such a great job helping him to organize his life that he feels totally lost without it.

Hell Yeah!

On Monday I signed up with the hosting provider that I'll be using for the production system, and the first thing I did was migrate my database over. Since, then I've had some trouble getting the site up on there servers, so I haven't been able to access my actions list. It's now Friday, and I basically feel like I'm lost in the woods. I'm dying without my awesome context interface, and the feeling of having my whole life in one place. So far this is the best validation that I might really have come up with something that people will not only use but will rely on.

Slash And Burn

For the past several months, everything I've read about starting a software/web business has said the same basic thing: start small. Implement the most basic features, and fight with all your strength against feature bloat.

Of course, like any good monkey, I've agreed. I've paid great lipservice to the idea and constantly patted myself on the back for building software that is "bloat-free". Fortunately, today everything clicked. I realized that I've been full of crap. While my mouth has been saying "lightweight", "minimalist", "flexible", I've spent 3+ months building a single page website.

The Talk

Like most people, my first true appreciation of the damage that feature bloat can do was when I installed MS Office 97 and met Clippy the not so helpful assistant. I can only imagine how much time and money Microsoft spent on this totally unneeded feature. I vowed never to do this myself.

The second time that I can recall really focusing on the idea of simplicity in software was when I learned about YAGNI. YAGNI is an abbreviation for "You Aren't Gonna Need It." This is a programming principle that says, "Don't write feature that you think you might need some day, because you're just wasting your time." There are enough things that you do need today, so write tomorrow's code tomorrow.

More recently, I've been fascinated by the company 37 Signals. Their approach is entirely about implementing the minimum features needed to be useful and nothing more. It's an approach that's made them incredibly successful in a very short period of time. Luckily for me, they're also software development evangelists, and are screaming their efficiency secrets from the rooftops. It was their Basecamp & Backpack products that inspired me to head down this path in the first place.

Yesterday was the turning point. Brian Plexico over at microisv.com posted a link to this podcast which is an interview with Derek Sivers, the founder of CDBaby.com. CD Baby is an online distributor of independent music with over $25 million in sales. In this interview, Sivers makes a couple of points that really hit home.

First, he said that he built his site to sell the CDs of 12 bands that had asked for his help. The important lesson here is that he didn't set out to build an global superstore the likes of Amazon. In fact, even Amazon didn't set out to build Amazon. I remember when Amazon first started. I heard about this really cool website that sold books. That's all it did. Ten years later they may be the cornerstone retailer of the Internet, but they started out by picking one product and selling it. They started small and focused, just like CD Baby. All of the other growth came naturally from the single starting point.

The next great point that Sivers made was in response to a question about the Dot Com boom. With a site that went live just before the bubble started growing, Sivers was asked what he did to avoid falling into the Dot Com traps. His answer was astonishingly simple. He sipmly remained focused on being a record store. When venture capalists came knocking with ideas to grow the business, he sent them packing. "We're just a record store," he said. When someone suggested that they sponsor their own independent music tour, he replied, "We're just a record store." The principle at work here is "KISS" or Keep It Simple Stupid. If you try to move in all directions at once, you'll never go anywhere.

Finally, this morning, the camel's back broke. I was reading this blog post and came across a quote that struck me like lightning.

It's very easy to get stuck at this point, with a half-developed product that will never see the light of day. Because nowyou have to stop thinking like a programmer and start thinking like a business owner. Keep cutting features, for a start. Remember, every feature has to be documented and tested and supported.

I finally got it. Features cost money. It's not just the time that it takes to write them, it's the time it takes to document them, support them, test them. These costs go on forever, so if you don't need the feature right now don't add it. It's so simple.

The Walk

With that said, I've made a decision. I'm releasing my product on Monday. I'm going to spend the weekend working like an editor attacking a Costner film. My goal is to turn Wyatt Earp (three and a half hours of crap) into Tombstone (two hours of genius). Come Monday, I'll have a really great Next Actions list.

After that I'll grow slowly. (<-- famous last words)