We all tend to see the world through our own lens, that’s a given. UX people think UX is the most important thing in developing a product. Developers think that great programming is the secret sauce. Entrepreneurs think that if you’re not at a startup, you’re a loser. Marketers think that without marketing, you’re toast. Others say that “Marketing is the price you pay for creating mediocre products”. And on and on it goes.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years in this business, it’s a sense of perspective. In this case, it means remembering this:
It’s not just about building insanely great products, it’s also about building an insanely great company.
And to do it, you need a balanced team with a firm grasp of not just the nuts and bolts, but also the bigger picture.
The history of the Valley is littered with stories of people and companies who couldn’t get the balance right — great ideas poorly executed, slick promotions that couldn’t save a piece of crap product, great products ground into the dust by badly-managed companies, and many more besides. Success is very, very difficult.
Fail to keep your sense of perspective, though, and it’s that much harder to achieve.
