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“OK, but there are two rules…”

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Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#51

Post by jerf »

idheitmann wrote: post #6

Another great parallel is from photography: Many film cameras used to be sold with only a fixed 50mm or a 35mm lens. The restriction forced people to think about what was in or outside the field of vision. Today's cameras that have 10x zooms do not force the same consideration, and I suggest that amateur photography has suffered as a result. A friend of mine is a house-painter by trade, and has set himself the restri…

Did you notice that getting rid of the brush actually increases the choices and undermines your point? At least, I assume the purpose is to use other things to put paint on canvas, thus creating a choice where conventionally there is none.

Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#54

Post by redthrowaway »

bane wrote: post #49
redthrowaway wrote: post #9

I appreciate the message, but am I the only one for whom the "fail fast" mantra is becoming grating? It seems like it was originally a good idea: if your startup is dead, let it die. Don't cling to a failed idea. Now, however, it's almost used instead of a plan, or as an excuse not to carefully consider your options. It seems as if it appeals to our innate laziness: "Take a shot. If you miss, oh well, better luck nex…

It's amazing how many things can become successful if you just stick it out and work at it. No?

Exactly. The "fail fast" notion is anathemic to most worthwhile pursuits, from school to skill acquisition to sports... I'm not sure why it's suddenly considered a virtue in the startup world.

Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#56

Post by whatusername »

redthrowaway wrote: post #54
bane wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing how many things can become successful if you just stick it out and work at it. No?

Exactly. The "fail fast" notion is anathemic to most worthwhile pursuits, from school to skill acquisition to sports... I'm not sure why it's suddenly considered a virtue in the startup world.

It depends on what extreme you take it to. For the classic sports example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mMioJ5szc

Fail Fast can also be seen as: Perform, get feedback, perform slightly better, get more feedback, iterate until perfect.

Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#57

Post by jonburs »

davidmathers wrote: post #45

I learned this concept from George Lucas when I was a child. Star Wars Budget: $13M Return of the Jedi Budget: $32M I'm not joking when I say that juxtaposition influenced the way I think about life. Now the idea almost seems like a trivial commonplace to me. Everyone from John Paul Sartre to David Heinemeier Hansson has written about it.

Are those figures adjusted for inflation?

Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#58

Post by alain94040 »

redthrowaway wrote: post #9

I appreciate the message, but am I the only one for whom the "fail fast" mantra is becoming grating? It seems like it was originally a good idea: if your startup is dead, let it die. Don't cling to a failed idea. Now, however, it's almost used instead of a plan, or as an excuse not to carefully consider your options. It seems as if it appeals to our innate laziness: "Take a shot. If you miss, oh well, better luck nex…

Iterate Quickly

Also known as “kill ideas fast”, this advice is saying that your idea is probably not worth the pixels it’s displayed on. Ideas are a dime a dozen, execution matters. You’d be better off with a dumb idea in a large, expanding market!

Trust Your Guts

Also known as resilience or tenacity: when everyone else tells you to give up, when there is no hope in sight, what separates the successsful entrepreneur from the wanna-be: perseverance. Don’t give up.

Here’s my take on the contradiction: both your guts and everyone else are right — partially. It takes a very smart person (you) to figure out the gem that your guts detect and remove the junk that everyone else sees.

(source http://blog.fairsoftware.net/2009/12/18/startup-advice-contr...)

Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#59

Post by NickPollard »

jonburs wrote: post #57
davidmathers wrote: post #45

I learned this concept from George Lucas when I was a child. Star Wars Budget: $13M Return of the Jedi Budget: $32M I'm not joking when I say that juxtaposition influenced the way I think about life. Now the idea almost seems like a trivial commonplace to me. Everyone from John Paul Sartre to David Heinemeier Hansson has written about it.

Are those figures adjusted for inflation?

I doubt that 6 years (1977 - 1983) is long enough for inflation to have altered the ratio much.

Re: “OK, but there are two rules…”

#60

Post by deadmansshoes »

davidmathers wrote: post #45

I learned this concept from George Lucas when I was a child. Star Wars Budget: $13M Return of the Jedi Budget: $32M I'm not joking when I say that juxtaposition influenced the way I think about life. Now the idea almost seems like a trivial commonplace to me. Everyone from John Paul Sartre to David Heinemeier Hansson has written about it.

But the best film of the trilogy was Empire Strikes Back - at $25M.
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