Make the Core Product Work

When I start a new project, I always have this urge to make it have everything. Let’s have an overly polished landing page. Let’s add a header with a blog section, a help center, announcements, and a bunch of other things in the footer. Let’s start worrying about minor animations, multi-step onboarding, and the list goes on.

I’m not saying these things don’t matter. But it is too early to worry about them. In fact, it is better not to. The more time I spend on those things, the less time I spend working on the core product. My job initially is to make sure the part that solves the user’s problem is nailed to a T.

I can start with a simple landing page that clearly explains the problem I’m solving. One of my favorite examples of this is Linear’s initial landing page. It didn’t even have a header. The only information in the footer was the required privacy policy, terms of use, and a link to its Twitter account. The rest of the page was a clear explanation of what the product did, some screenshots, and a call to action to sign up for the beta.

Another danger of trying to look big and complete in unnecessary places is that it can inflate the expectations of early adopters. They see a flashy landing page with a bunch of things that make the company look big. They have high expectations, and when they try the product, I risk leaving them underwhelmed.

Focus maniacally on the core problem. Get a small number of users to try the product. Talk to them, collect feedback, decide what is worth pursuing, and repeat the cycle ad infinitum.

Eventually, I look up and realize that I now have actual testimonials from happy customers to add to the landing page. I have genuine things to say that are worth blogging about. I have the opportunity to write multiple case studies. I naturally have many things to show.

Instead of trying to look big, congrats! I kind of am.