Comprehensive Guide to Do Things that Don't Scale
Doing things that don't scale refers to performing manual, labor-intensive tasks in a startup's early stages that are not sustainable long-term but are essential for initial growth and learning. This strategy involves direct user engagement, personalized customer service, and manual processes to deeply understand user needs, build a loyal user base, and refine the product before attempting widespread automation or scaling. It prioritizes deep user relationships over broad reach.
Key Takeaways
Manual user acquisition builds a strong initial user base.
Personalized user delight fosters loyalty and valuable feedback.
Early-stage startups benefit from unscalable, hands-on approaches.
Avoid big launches; focus on a core of happy, engaged users.
Manual processes provide crucial insights for future automation.
How do startups effectively recruit early users?
Startups effectively recruit early users through aggressive, manual acquisition, not by waiting. This proactive approach, exemplified by Stripe, involves directly engaging potential users. Founders often resist due to shyness or underestimating compound growth. However, this direct engagement is crucial for building a foundational user base and gaining vital early feedback, setting the stage for future success.
- Aggressively acquire users directly.
- Early engagement is vital for success.
- Target promising segments and observe initial users.
Why is delighting early users crucial for startups?
Delighting early users is crucial for building strong relationships and fostering loyalty, making them feel valued. This involves going the extra mile, like sending hand-written thank you notes. Founders may resist due to an engineering mindset or scaling concerns. Yet, these unscalable acts create powerful advocates and provide invaluable insights for early growth.
- Make users feel valued with personalized gestures.
- Overcome engineering mindset and scaling concerns.
How does focusing on user experience benefit early startups?
Focusing on an "insanely great" user experience benefits early startups by compensating for initial product limitations with exceptional attentiveness. Direct engagement provides invaluable feedback, as initial user models are often inaccurate. This approach also involves focusing on a narrow market initially, ensuring the product truly meets a dedicated user base's needs.
- Focus on user experience, not just product.
- Direct engagement provides invaluable insights.
- Narrow market focus for concentrated impact.
What is "Pulling a Meraki" in startup development?
"Pulling a Meraki" means hardware startups manually assemble products in early stages, despite manufacturing challenges. This strategy, seen with Meraki and Pebble, allows faster design iteration and provides valuable learning. Embracing manual production initially refines designs, clarifies supply chains, and enables quick adaptation before large-scale automated manufacturing.
- Manually assemble hardware initially.
- Faster iteration and valuable learning.
How can acting as a consultant help early-stage startups?
Acting as a consultant for a single user means perfectly meeting their specific needs, which can lead to broader market applicability. This involves using your software on behalf of potential users, as Viaweb demonstrated. By deeply understanding and solving one user's problems, startups gain profound insights into real-world applications, resonating widely.
- Perfectly meet one user's needs for broader applicability.
- Gain direct experience using software on behalf of users.
Why should startups do things manually before automating?
Startups should initially perform tasks manually that they plan to automate later. This allows for faster launch and develops "muscle memory" for future automation. Manual components might even appear as software, like Stripe's initial setup. By starting entirely manual, companies thoroughly understand processes, ensuring automation efforts are well-informed.
- Allows faster launch and muscle memory.
- Manual components can appear as software.
- Prioritize solving user problems first.
Why should startups avoid the "Big Launch" mindset?
Startups should avoid the "Big Launch" mindset, which often stems from overestimating appeal or seeking easy user acquisition. Instead, focus on building a solid core of happy users. Large-scale partnerships are frequently ineffective, requiring significant effort for minimal results. A grand launch can create unrealistic expectations, diverting resources.
- Focus on a solid core of happy users.
- Often due to solipsism or laziness.
- Often ineffective, require significant effort.
How do startup ideas function as vectors?
Startup ideas function as vectors, comprising both the product itself and the unscalable actions undertaken initially. The second component, often manual user acquisition and personalized delight, is equally important. Founders must not underestimate the hard work required in both dimensions, as a successful startup combines a great product with intense, manual effort.
- Product plus unscalable initial actions.
- Manual acquisition and delight are crucial.
What are key additional insights for early-stage startups?
Key additional insights for early-stage startups include founders doing sales themselves initially, and understanding that growth momentum means size helps you grow. Calibrate ambitions, and question ideas relying on cold calls. Embrace small size advantages instead of imitating big companies. Focus on acquiring influential early adopters, and don't fear a "market of one."
- Create a superior product.
- Founders must handle initial sales.
- Size aids growth.
- Understand idea potential.
- Question idea viability if cold calls needed.
- Embrace small size advantages.
- User needs can change with product.
- Acquire influential early adopters.
- Don't fear niche utility.
- Inverse correlation with success possible.
- Google's growth was organic, not partnership.
- Lacks clear user acquisition path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is manual user acquisition important for startups?
Manual user acquisition is crucial for startups to directly engage early users, understand their needs, and build a loyal foundation. This hands-on approach provides invaluable feedback, refining the product.
How can startups delight their early users?
Startups can delight early users by going the extra mile with personalized attention, like handwritten notes. These unscalable acts make users feel valued, fostering loyalty and turning them into powerful advocates.
What does "doing things that don't scale" mean for product development?
For product development, it means prioritizing an "insanely great" user experience and compensating for early product limitations with attentiveness. It involves starting manual and gradually automating for crucial insights.
Why should startups avoid a "big launch"?
Startups should avoid a "big launch" as it often stems from overconfidence or seeking easy user acquisition. Focus on building a solid core of happy users. Large partnerships often yield minimal results.
How do manual processes benefit future automation?
Manual processes benefit future automation by allowing faster initial launches and developing "muscle memory." This hands-on experience provides deep insights, ensuring automation is well-informed and effective for real user problems.
