

Failure as an event - bdfh42
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/failure-as-an-e.html

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13ren
I like his linked "cliff businesses" where network effects are essential for
their usefulness (canonical example that he didn't use: the first phone).

I think many businesses have network effects as an adjunct to their initial
usefulness, which can then fade away (like scaffolding) if a network effect of
greater usefulness kicks in. Leaving you with what looks like a "cliff
business". Of course, it's hard to plan even an ordinary successful business -
let alone a two-stager. e.g. Zune's wireless song-sharing.

It doesn't hurt to think about both aspects, and allow for the possibility in
product dev, and present both aspects in marketing - at least it then has a
_chance_ to work. If it doesn't work (i.e. fails) it's no big deal.

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thewordpainter
If you haven't failed yet, you haven't tried. It doesn't have to be the entire
idea...mini failures count too. You learn by action...

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neilc
_A directory that's incomplete is almost always worthless._

 _Many_ directories are incomplete but still highly useful (e.g. Yelp is far
from a complete directory even for cities like San Francisco, but it makes up
for its lack of completeness with the quality of its entries). The question is
just whether the directory is complete enough to be useful.

