It is ok to not write code for a while, if that works for you. But inactivity can easily breed paralysis, a form of fear of the blank page. And that paralyzing fear of the blank page is far likelier if you're afraid of embarrassment, of forgetting some side issue that will make you look like an amateur (like the reddit guys did). But like in their case, embarrassment is often irrelevant.
Vision is important, yes. Necessary, definitely. But there are subtle feedback loops between vision and action. Just standing in one place is often not the best way to exploit vision. Moving a few steps here and there aids depth perception, and helps vision work better. A lot of the problem in a startup is not technical, a problem to crank through with a single correct answer. The major problem is understanding what users want, the details of interface in the technical area you have chosen. The fastest way to figure that out often passes through a couple of troughs of some criticism and embarrassment.
I think this is a good conversation to have, because it helps us latecomers to unpack the wisdom in 'release early, release often.'
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There's a subtle fallacy in juxtaposing the phrases 'do it right' and 'release early, release often'. 'Do it right' is a cipher: impossible to use, impossible to criticize. Of course I want to do it right. Who wouldn't? But how should I?
'Release early, release often' gives me advice on how to go about doing it right. We can argue about the value of that advice, but it is inarguably proactive. It takes a stand.
Vision is important, yes. Necessary, definitely. But there are subtle feedback loops between vision and action. Just standing in one place is often not the best way to exploit vision. Moving a few steps here and there aids depth perception, and helps vision work better. A lot of the problem in a startup is not technical, a problem to crank through with a single correct answer. The major problem is understanding what users want, the details of interface in the technical area you have chosen. The fastest way to figure that out often passes through a couple of troughs of some criticism and embarrassment.
I think this is a good conversation to have, because it helps us latecomers to unpack the wisdom in 'release early, release often.'
---
There's a subtle fallacy in juxtaposing the phrases 'do it right' and 'release early, release often'. 'Do it right' is a cipher: impossible to use, impossible to criticize. Of course I want to do it right. Who wouldn't? But how should I?
'Release early, release often' gives me advice on how to go about doing it right. We can argue about the value of that advice, but it is inarguably proactive. It takes a stand.